Into The Wild
by DreamUsFinchel
Summary: Rachel left New York, leaving her job, her family and her friends behind to take a vacation in a place where people don't usually go. She wanted to live a new experience. Rachel was ready to deal with the difficulties of people and nature, but she wasn't expecting to meet a man that could make this adventure even more unforgettable
1. Chapter 1

**First of all, I'd like to say that I'm really excited to share this story with you. It's the first that I write bymyself and I really hope you will like it as much as I do. I hesitated a long time before starting it because of the barrier of the language as some of you know I'm French. But I learned to speak and write English thanks to Fanfiction and I'm must say that I'm a little proud, 3 years later to be able to write a Finchel story myself because no matter what Finchel is Forever.  
**

**Moreover I couldn't have done it without my American Beta ( firewifesara on Twitter) who helped me, finding the right words for each situation and make it a real English story without any mistakes (i hope so ^^). I could never thank her enough.  
**

**It's a little different from what you're all used to because it's a one-shot divided in several parts.**

_"Love has no gender"_

* * *

i.

"Please, we are not going to fight about it!" cried Rachel while rolling her eyes.

"Yes, we are young lady, because you're being extremely crazy right now!" Dramatized Kurt. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Kurt, just breathe and relax for a minute, you don't have to be so dramatic about it."

Kurt was very close to a heart attack, he closed his eyes and listened to his dear friend and took deep breaths. "Okay, let me repeat what you just said. You actually want to take vacation" started Kurt.

"Yes, 2 months long. I can, I have worked really hard the past 3 years, and I think I deserve one." smiled Rachel, happy to see that Kurt was calming down.

"And as per usual, Rachel Berry, you can't just go to Cabo or Paris to relax? No! You want to go to nowhere. Is that right!?" said Kurt who was trying to process everything.

"Well, it's not really nowhere because it does exist; it's just somewhere people don't go because it's not really a normal place where you can come, eat and relax. I know it will be a great adventure." explained Rachel, trying to win over her best friend and manager.

"But, Rachel dear, we won't be able to reach you for 2 months. You're going to eat bananas, live with people that will be as smart as monkeys, you won't be able to shower once a day and oh my god the list is so long…" Kurt sat on the couch of Rachel apartment. He looked at Rachel with an almost pleading look, hoping just a little that she would regain a bit of sanity. Only she would want to embark on this kind of adventure.

"I want this Kurt, I know I can do it, it can only benefit me to live in a way I never lived before. And believe me, if I can't handle this new way of living, I'm going straight back home and you can then tell me 'I told you so' a million times if you want." Rachel sat next to him and hugged him. "Please K, I need your support on this. It will do you good to have you on your own too. Think about it." She looked him in the eyes and gave him her famous pouty look. As always, he gave up.

"Maybe, it will be good. People will want to know where you are and it will make a little of publicity and sell papers. I'll miss you so much, though. The only think I'm asking for is, I want to know that you're there safe; just to know, you didn't die on the way. I'll take care of everything as always, because-"

Rachel cut him and hugged him again "You're the best friend that exists in the entire world." jumped Rachel getting excited.

"I know I am." he sighed.

* * *

ii.

This how Rachel Barbra Berry, a Broadway actress and singer that has won four Tony Awards and the heart of thousands of fans ended up on her private plane to Amazonia; a place that was virtually unknown.

She thought about it one night, while she was watching a documentary about people that didn't know anything about the Occidental world since they were still living with the basics. They were a tribe of people who still lived with a master. Women were taking care of the children and making food and stuff. It had a "social ladder" well defined. It amazed her to see them happy with almost nothing but this solidarity.

The next day, she had done research to find where she could live for two months and be a part of a tribe. Secluded, only her and them with no other citizens. She had been really lucky to find one that accepted her in exchange for drinking water as it was hard to find where they lived. She had been told that she was only the second girl who would come and try to adapt to their style of life. She knew well, it wouldn't be easy but she had to try, at least. She hoped it would be a good change.

When she landed on a field of grass in the middle of the Amazonian forest, a dark skinned man greeted her with a smile. "Good Morning, Ms Berry, my name is Albatan and I'll be taking you to the tribe of Manaus; the oldest tribe here." Politely, he squeezed her hand, and looked at her, with wide eyes and she wondered why he was looking at her this way. Hopefully, she would know the reason later.

Rachel was beyond nervous to see where she was going but she also couldn't wait; yes it was really paradoxal. "Hey Albatan, it's a really pleasure to meet you. I'll follow you." She took her small bag which contained only a t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of glasses, just in case. She really wanted to fit into the tribe in every way possible, clothes include.

Without a word, Albatan began walking with Rachel following close behind him, looking around. She was amazed by all the trees and all the greenery that surrounded her. As a faithful New Yorker, she had never seen so much nature, and she already loved it.

She wanted to ask Albatan question she craved to know the answers to. After a little moment of hesitation, she dared to ask, breaking the silence "Albatan?" she walked a little faster so that she was by his side.

He turned his head and looked at Rachel with a questioning look on his face. "Yes, Ms Berry?" he replied while still walking.

"I was wondering, how far will we have to walk before we arrive at our destination?" she wasn't afraid of the journey ahead, she just wanted to know how long the journey would be. She was walking in unknown territory, and even if she was exited, a small part of her –the sanity one- told her to be on her guard.

"A few hours I would say, maybe six?" It was a short answer, he didn't seem to want to talk much.

She was worried that the six hour journey would be taken in silence. _I don't think I ever done a walk that long in my whole life, and certainly not quietly. _Rachel thought to herself. "Can you tell me a little bit more about the tribe of Manaus, please?" her curiosity always got the best of her, but she had a good reason, right?

Albatan thought for a moment, like he was searching the right words before explaining. "First of all, they have their own culture with their own rules that can't be changed. Their rules are expected to be followed. If you don't follow them, you could be expelled or worse but I'm sure it won't be your case. Second, you have to know that they live the opposite way of yours. They have not learned the same things you have or if they did, they have a different vision of it. It is much simpler. There is a chief – called the master- and he is in charge. Men and women are not held as equals. Finally, you are lucky because this one of the few tribes that speaks English, but they don't talk a lot. They do speak English well, so you'll be able to communicate. I must warn you though; I think they will be a little surprised to see you at first." His words were really calm as he explained to her with patience.

Rachel loved the way he talked; like he had all the time in the world with no pressure or anything.

"This is great, Albatan, thank you." Rachel's mind was going wild. She was imagining a world of possibilities and asking herself a lot of questions. She had so much hope for this journey and she wanted to prove to herself that she could do anything. And to Kurt, she didn't want to hear a single "I told you so" coming out of his mouth.

* * *

iii.

Rachel had learned quickly that what Albatan had told her about the walk, he wasn't lying at all. And six hours is quite a long walk when you don't stop to rest. During the walk Albatan was always in front of her, as if she wasn't there. Rachel didn't have the guts to ask him to stop and rest as she didn't want to be a burden for him. She was grateful he took the time to guide her through to the village. They hadn't spoken on the trek at all and Rachel enjoyed listening to the sounds of the nature. She didn't have a choice anyway. She wasn't used to the quiet; she enjoyed talking as much as she enjoyed singing.

Albatan stopped and pointed in the direction they had been walking "See that row of trees 50 meters in front of you?" he asked, looking at Rachel.

"I do" she answered.

"Then, my job stops here, young lady. Continue until you see a wood cabin. They know you're coming. I'll be coming back in two months; same hour, same place. I'll make the call to Mr Hummel myself since he asked for it. It was a pleasure." Rachel's mouth was hanging open as he turned and left. She had to go there alone!?

"I am screwed." she said quietly to herself. But she was Rachel Berry which meant she could do it, right? She could and she will. She gathered all her determination and courage, raised her head high, and finished the pathway.

The closer she came to the row of trees Albatan has pointed out, the more she could hear children. She hid quietly behind a tree that was twice her width, and looked on. She was speechless, there were so many people.

The place was in a circle, in the center of which, there was a big fire. There were cabins encircling the fire and people were in the center of it all just like in the documentary. There were several children running around playing a game Rachel didn't recognize and four women sitting under a tree making dinner in a wooden bowl. Further away she could see two men cutting a tree. What surprised her a little is that all the people had really dark skin. They were all black people.

She took a deep breath and decided to go for it. What do you say in this moment seriously? She sure as hell didn't know. "Hey" seemed good.

All activity stopped and everybody turned to stare at her. No smile, no words, just eyes staring at her, looking at her from head to toe. She suddenly felt very self-conscious. She understood now, why Albatan had told her they would be surprised to see her. She was going to be the only white people here for a while. Maybe they had never seen a white person before… She was used to people looking at her, but it usually was because of her talent as an actress and as a singer. She wasn't used to being watched because she was a foreigner wanting to live an exciting experience.

Then, an old woman stood up before it became too awkward. Rachel could see the kindness and amazement in the woman's eyes.

"Good Morning. You're the American girl?" the woman asked with a marked accent.

Rachel smiled shyly: "Yes, my name is Rachel."

"Call me Ma. I am one of the oldest people here." Ma said quietly before turning to a group of kids nearby "Paulo, please give dear Rachel a tour of the village."After ordering the kid, Ma sat and continued her previous task.

Rachel noticed a young boy, not older than fifteen, run towards her being followed by three other kids. The boy, Paulo she assumed, stood in front of her and signaled with his head for Rachel to follow him. They began to walk, some of the other children following behind. She could help but noticed that the kids were looking at her strangely until the littlest one reached out and touched her hand, rapidly pulling it back. The boy giggled and watched Rachel's reaction. She smiled at him and stretched out her hand to show him that he could touch without worry. Rachel noticed his hesitation, so she kneeled in front of him and waited. His eyes never left her as he slowly came closer to her. When they were face to face, Rachel gave him a reassuring smile that was returned by the boy, warming Rachel's heart. He slowly raised his hand and placed it on Rachel's cheek then looked at his friends smiling ear to ear. Rachel placed her hand over his and found herself in a sort of spell like she was connecting with the child. He was looking at her in awe, just like she would look at Barbra.

"It's the first time is seeing a white woman, like a lot of us. It amazed him." Paulo spoke softly. Rachel nodded in understanding.

"I understand. Am I the only white person here then?" she asked curiously as she stood up. Rachel took the boy's hand in hers, an action that earned her a 1000 watt smile from the boy and she could tell she was already in love with that little one.

"You're the second. There is a man living with us and he is as white as you. After the tour, I'll present you to him. He's the one who will be staying with you most of the time, actually" Paulo told her.

Rachel nodded and followed him. He showed her the cabin, the fire, the people, and the general boundaries of the village. He also told her the main things she would have to know and felt like she was in some sort of a dream, drinking every single word he was saying and trying to remember everything.

* * *

iv.

She also was beyond tired, as she didn't rest a lot since she landed here. But believe her, the first time she saw him, she was wide awake. She wondered if she was sure she had seen the most beautiful man in the world. She even pinched herself to see if she was dreaming or not. It was almost time to go to bed, when a toned man entered the village wearing only a leopard print loin cloth with a knife strapped to his upper thigh. According to Paulo, he and four other men were returning after a full day of hunting. None of the men were wearing shirts and their abs were well defined, probably because of their hard work every day. But she only had eyes for the tallest one.

His gaze was focused on her when he saw her, and he stopped walking for a second. She figured he was the other visitor of the tribe and also the person she would be staying with. She didn't know why but suddenly, she felt luckier.

She noticed that the women passing in front of the men were lowering their heads, seemingly in respect. Well, he wasn't just a visitor like her then. She did the same, even if it seemed submissive to her.

She watched as the handsome man approach Paulo, forgetting the dough which she was currently molding. "Who is that man?" Rachel asked the woman next to her, still watching the mysterious man.

"He's the master of the hunting. He provides meat and a lot of food for us. Him and his team will also find us good place to live when we're moving. He's quite important."

Rachel nodded, you could see he had a big responsibility on his shoulder. He wasn't like other boys. His charisma was radiating from him and he clearly took his responsibilities seriously. He finished talking and walked towards her. Rachel held his gaze, transfixed by him. She would have felt like a creep, except he was looking at her the exact same way.

She stood up, but next to him she was feeling small, like really small. She wasn't afraid, quite the opposite actually.

"Follow me, please. You have to sleep." His tone was cold and he didn't seem impressed by her at all. He didn't seem too friendly.

Slightly disappointed, she followed him, happy to be able to rest. Her legs were tired and she could barely walk now, but she was happy with how the day went. He guided her to a small tent made of straw and wooden branches. Inside the tent, there was a primitive bed of grass; that would have to do.

"Tomorrow, I'll wake you up before the sun comes up. Have a good night." With that, the man left.

If she hadn't been so tired she might have been angry about his welcoming, but she was too tired to care today. She laid down onto the grass bed and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

v.

Rachel groaned and turned to hide her face when she felt someone shaking her. "Ten more minutes please" she whined.

A strong voice filled the tent "Get up now or we're leaving without you. Two minutes."

Then, it hit her. She opened one eye to see that she wasn't in New York anymore and she definitely wasn't in her bed, which explained the ache in her back. "Oh my god." She sighed and gathered the strength to start her first day in the tribe. She could already tell that this day was going to be long because of the lack of sleep. Very quickly though, she found herself awake and ready to go, excited to see what was planned for her.

Once outside of her tent, she immediately noticed that it was still dark outside. The sounds of whistling birds filled the night so Rachel closed her eyes to listen to the beautiful sounds of nature, enjoying the peace of the moment.

Nnaturally, her peaceful moment was broken when she heard a fast "Come on girl" from the tall man who was passing in front of her. He was dressed the same way as yesterday and already heading outside the boundaries of the village.

"Let's go party" Rachel mocked, mostly to herself as she tried to catch up with him. He was really beautiful, the shadows showed the expression on his face to be hard like a stone; it saddened and intrigued her to know why he was this way. "Where are we going?" she asked. Just because he was ordering her around didn't mean he was mean or unfriendly, right? The tall man impressed her, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

"We are going to find fruit and manioc to eat. The reserves are almost empty"

"Okay... And what's your name? Mine is Rachel." She couldn't continue to call him tall man the entire time she was here, although it was really fitting. It might be good to know his actual name.

"My name is Finn."

Wow, she wasn't expecting that kind of name. "Where are you from?" she asked.

He looked at her with a puzzled look "Here. I'm from here."

Rachel was a little surprised "Really? I wasn't expecting that. It's a little surprising." His eyes were focused on hers and she could have melted.

"It's none of your business. Try to keep up with me, we don't have all day." He turned away again. _Such a nice boy… He was as hard inside as he looked._

She didn't let his attitude bothering her and lost herself in her thoughts as they continued walking. Finn was a mysterious man, but he didn't know her at all if he thought one minute Rachel would give up that easy; for now though, she would act like if she wasn't there; it's for the best.

They had been walking next to each other for a while and soon Rachel began absently humming. When it was quiet she would sing or hum, it was a habit she had developed when she was younger.

_Every single day  
I walk down the street  
I hear people say  
"Baby's so sweet"_

_Ever since puberty  
Everybody stares at me  
Boys, girls  
I can't help it baby_

She sang the song quietly, oblivious to Finn watching her. She loved this song, and she loved even more performing it in front of an audience.

He didn't say a word to her when she starting humming it instead, when he likely would have told anyone else to stop. Her voice intrigued him, it was so pretty, soft yet powerful which was a beautiful combination. Then he realized that it was not only her voice that intrigued him, but everything about her. Maybe it was because she was the first person he saw that was like him –white- or because she was so small and so beautiful. It was actually the first time he ever considered a person being beautiful. There was something about her and he couldn't find the words to describe the feeling. Nobody had ever made him feel this way. He shouldn't be so concerned about people who are living with his tribe as part of an 'experience,' since this wasn't an experience for him but it was his way of life. Finn was a man of action, his life was making sure his people are well fed and protected.

The silence was broken when Finn spoke quietly "Do you do that often?"

"What?" she asked, looking at him. Their walking slowed a little, and Rachel beamed on the inside; happy that he was speaking to her.

"Singing?"

"All the time, but I don't always know when I'm doing it. It is just natural to me. It's something I love to do." She wished he was going to talk to her more.

He stopped walking and looked at her "It's good." She did the same, coming face to face with him, or more like chest to face, thanks to the height difference between them.

For a moment they just stared at each other, feeling electricity around them that neither of them understood. They were lost in each other's eyes and Rachel noticed the dimples on his cheeks and a little scar on the right side of his jaw. He was even more beautiful up close. She felt drawn to him and enjoyed the luck she had to be able to discover him this way. Without thinking, Rachel slowly raised her hand to rest it on his cheek. He leaned down a little, watching her every move. She felt no shame or awkwardness as she traced his scar with her finger and what startled her was her desire to kiss it.

Finn had never been touched this way. Her hand was as soft as moss or a feather even. It was new to him because people in his tribe didn't do this to each other, and he briefly wondered why. The corners of Rachel's lips lifted a little to show her beautiful smile and Finn did the same only with more shyness. He turned his head a little and rested his own hand on hers. He squeezed it a little and then closed his hand around hers. "Your hand is really tiny." He said slowly almost whispering. He was amazed of how soft her hands were.

"Or yours is just too big" she laughed.

He grinned at her "Maybe." Finn shook his head breaking the spell they were in. He felt like a fool and didn't know what had just happened. He turned and began walking away from Rachel.

Rachel rolled her eyes and followed him, not really surprised by his reaction. It was normal for him to do that, talking to her one minute and walking away the next so she had to get used to it. It allowed her to replay this moment in her head, remembering how his dry, rough hand felt against her cheek. She loved how big they were and she allowed herself to wonder what he could do with them as they walked again.

Rachel looked at the landscapes that surrounded her and stated that it was a good change, and even if she missed her friends she didn't regret coming here, yet. She loved it; it was completely different from city life. She knew that she could never be a part of it in the long run because you can't just become a savage in two months when you have so many things going on in New York but it was still nice to get to know something as different as this.

The hours passed rapidly and Rachel guessed that it was a little after noon. She hadn't eaten since last night and she was starving. Her stomach was growling like hell and she was sure that Finn could hear it, even though he never said anything about it.

"Come here please, I need your help" Finn said, bringing Rachel out of her thoughts. It was the second time that he had spoken to her since the moment they had shared earlier in the day.

She questioned him with her eyes "Okay" she said moving towards him. He signaled with his head for her to look up in the tree. She raised her head to see bananas hanging from the tree, and licked her lips in anticipation. She was going to eat!

"They look delicious" stated Rachel, clapping her hands.

"I'm going to kneel so you can get on my shoulders. When I'll lift you up, you'll grab as many bananas as you can, okay?" he explained and without waiting for her answer he kneeled next to the banana tree and Rachel stood behind him. She held onto his shoulders to steady herself, then moved each of her legs around his neck. Finn stood up without a struggle and Rachel felt like a giant with her and Finn's height combined. Rachel laughed heartedly as she held onto Finn's head. Finn wrapped his hands around her ankles, sending shivers down her spine which made her try her best to not let him have such an effect on her.

She raised her arms as much as she could and began collecting the bananas. There were a dozen or so on each branch. The bananas were small and fragrant and so she couldn't wait to taste them. She passed the fruit to Finn so he could hold them as he walked tree to tree with Rachel on his shoulders. Rachel felt like a kid, but she was glad she could be useful.

"Here we go. I think we have them all" Rachel declared proudly as she handed him the last bunch of bananas. Finn kneeled so she could climb off his shoulders and she lost her balance. She would have fallen if Finn hadn't quickly turned and grabbed her wrist and pulled her upward causing her to fall into Finn's toned chest. Fact: it was as hard as it looked.

"Sorry." Rachel blushed and tried not to stare at him while she got up.

"It's fine." Finn said simply.

He handed her a banana. Rachel smiled and thanked him, already peeling the fruit. She eagerly took a bite and a small moan escaped her lips, it tasted so good. It was the best banana in the whole world and she wasn't thinking that because she was really hungry at all. Finn looked on, amused by her reaction to a simple fruit.

"It's time to go back to the village, Rachel" Finn declared.

God, Rachel loved the way he rolled the "R" of her name, it was hot. The walk back would be easier with something in her stomach and who knows, maybe Finn would talk to her more.

* * *

vi.

One week already. She had been a part of the tribe for seven days now and she was exhausted, in a good way. She was used to working hard, it's what she had done her whole life to achieve her dream of becoming an actress and a singer. Rachel loved her job and she lived to perform, but being here was a lot different. She felt useful. She wasn't able to stop a minute to rest or relax; there was always something to do. She now understood why people here didn't need a gym to stay fit or lose weight.

Finn was always as bossy as before but she didn't really mind, and accepted it most of the time. Between hunting, cleaning, washing, cooking, sewing, and gathering, Rachel hadn't a minute for herself. She wasn't complaining, especially because her mentor was the hot and handsome Finn. One of her favorite things to do was to watch him when he was teaching her how to do something. She was trying to be a good student, and was doing her best to impress him. She had tried talking to him a little more, but he still hadn't opened himself up to her so she decided that she would wait for him to open himself on his own. She often noticed Finn watching the movement she made and when she did he would blush slightly and look away like if he didn't just stare.

Right now, however, something seemed off to Rachel and she didn't know what. She was outside helping the women peel potatoes with a knife shaped from stone. She tried to concentrate on her task to ease the feeling, but no matter what she did it wouldn't go away. That's when she heard it. A woman was screaming in the distance. The more she listened for it the clearer it became. She started to panic and rose to her feet. She moved toward the sound, leading her behind one of the tents at the edge of the village. What she saw left her speechless. A woman of the tribe was on her knees in front of someone who was likely her husband. The woman was letting herself be hit by the man so strongly that she struggled to stay upright with every blow. The second Rachel was able to understand what was actually happening, she screamed and jumped on the man trying to push him away from the poor woman, never thinking twice. "You dumbass, how dare you hit a woman!" Rachel yelled while repeatedly hitting the man's chest. She was hitting him with all the strength she had.

When the man reacted, he pushed her violently against to ground. She fell to the ground, hurting her head and her hand but she was so upset that she didn't notice the pain as she stood up again, ready to attack again as tears of anger were falling on her cheeks. The man was ready for her and grabbed Rachel's shoulder, pushing her away, again making her lose her balance. She didn't care that he was twice her size and way stronger than her, she couldn't stop.

"ENOUGH" someone shouted. Rachel didn't hear it or didn't care because she was already trying to get to him again when she was stopped in action by an arm around her waist, effectively keeping her from touching the bastard again.

She was struggling against the arm that was now restraining her when a familiar voice said "Stop Rachel."

She turned her head to see that the arm around her middle belonged to Finn. She tried again to escape him, but his hold was way too strong. She angrily pushed him as she looked around to see that a group had surrounded them and was now staring at her. Did they think this was her fault?

Rachel screamed, shaking with rage "How can you all stand there and do nothing?" When nobody answered, she threw her hands in the air and turned her attention to the woman sitting on the floor with fear in her eyes. Rachel went to her and hugged her "It's okay now" Rachel soothed caressing her hair softly. She's not sure if she was talking more to the woman or herself.

"Thank you" the woman whispered quietly so only her could hear.

Rachel could feel the woman's fear and she began to cry again. She had never seen so much violence in her life. She knew it happened in the world, but it was a lot different to see a husband hitting his wife in person. People had left the two women alone and after a while Rachel stood. She didn't understand why nobody had stopped it before. She decided to take a walk outside the village for a while in order to calm down, and put her mind to at ease a little. She walked about ten minutes before letting herself fall to the ground and cry. It was hard to handle and at that moment, she didn't know if she could still stay here. Maybe the master would want her to leave because she stood up to one of the men. In their culture it might be allowed to treat woman this way, but she couldn't, in good conscience, let it continue. The rules could go to hell for all she cared.

"You took a risk doing that you know"

Thinking she was alone, she jumped at the voice. She noticed that it was Finn and relaxed a little as he sat so close next to her on the ground that their sides were almost touching. Rachel hugged her knees against her chest and rested her chin on them, not looking at Finn. "I don't care, it was right. I don't know how you can accept this kind of treatment of women." She said.

Without raising his voice, Finn answered. "It's in our culture. Women have to obey us. This is how it works here."

"I don't understand how you can treat someone you love this way?" she asked.

Her statement must have been funny or something because he looked at her and chuckled a little.

She looked at him questioningly "What?"

"There is no 'love' here, Rachel. We don't know about feelings, it's pointless for us. We care for each other as a family, but it's just that. Caring but not loving, the rules are made to be followed and everyone has a place. Nobody experience love." He explained patiently and nicely for once.

Rachel turned to be on her knees, looking at him. "That is bullshit. Everyone has feelings. Maybe you just don't know when you have them because it never occurred to you that it could happen. I think some men are too proud to admit it or to let themselves feel them, but you have them here, in your heart" she said posing her head against Finn's heart feeling his heartbeat. "I'm sure there are people in love in your tribe, you just don't see them, because they hide themselves, too afraid of the other's reaction." Rachel spoke softly. During the past week she had watched every person, hoping to understand them and she knew she was right. Their actions didn't lie.

"You talk like you know." Retorted Finn.

Rachel smiled knowingly "I know." Curious, she added "Do you have a woman, Finn?"

"No. I never had one too." He answered. They always looked each other in the eyes when they talked and something in his eyes betrayed his answer "What about you?"

"I had people I cared about. I was in love once, but it didn't last long and now I'm single." Rachel replied. She needed to know one more thing before he left "Finn, can I ask you a personal question please?" she asked, and when he nodded, she continued "Would you hit her, your wife, if you had one, I mean." She desperately needed to know.

He stood up looking at her intently "I would never do such a thing, Rachel." He answered sincerely.

Rachel believed him right away, she had no reason not to.

Finn's expression turned serious "Rachel, I talked to the master after your fight today and he thinks you should leave for a while, to appease the tension in the tribe." He told her.

Rachel feel like she had been stabbed in the heart "But-" she started.

"We have to leave tomorrow, for a while." He said, already beginning to walk back to the village.

"Who is _we_?" asked a panicked Rachel.

"You and I." he answered plainly.

Well this was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Sooo ? What did you think ?**

**I already started writing part 2, but I really want to know what you think of this first part to know if it's worth it you know or if I should stop?**

**You can also send me feedback on my twitter account (DreamMeCory)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Can we all stop on the fact I received 27 reviews for the first chapter and I really want to hug and kiss every single person who reviewed and tweeted or just read. Each day I got more and more feedback and it just made me write faster just because you made me believe I could do it. Really from the bottom of my heart I'm thanking you. It feels amazing!**

**So, as promised here's part 2 (did I tell you I was continuing this story?Well, I do), with a lot of happy Finchel because I know you need it ahah.  
**

**As always, thank you to my beta firewifesara, she's truly the best.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

vii.

The sun was rising and Finn was trying to wake up Rachel so they could start their journey. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled at him. She stretched her arms above her head happy to see his face first thing in the morning. As usual, Finn gave her just enough time to get ready before they were to leave. Quickly, she packed her small bag with water, bananas, and a blanket for the nights. She knew she wasn't going to be sleeping inside the relative protection of a tent and that she would be sleeping under the stars instead. She really hoped that the nights weren't going to be too cold. Finn still hadn't said much to her and she was starting to realize that it wasn't her; he was just not used to talking much, like most of the people of the tribe. They were all closed off, only living day to day with no imperative.

Rachel really enjoyed the peacefulness of the wilderness; there were no pressures and no demands on her time. It gave her time to think about her life and the things she had accomplished. Ten years ago she was hoping to be a famous actress who would be living comfortably thanks to her talent. She wasn't a young girl anymore; she was an adult who had realized her biggest dreams. Even though Rachel was currently taking a break from the life she had made for herself, she felt generally content with it at the moment; the only thing she felt was missing from her life, was love. Of course, she had people she cared about in her life, but nobody that she felt she could spend her life with. It usually didn't bother her; she had just never felt the feeling of butterflies in her stomach, like what is talked about in movies and books. Soon enough, her thoughts were drifting to Finn. Rachel was intrigued by him. She felt lucky to be able to spend time with him, when usually the roles were reversed and people felt lucky to be with her, even asking for her autograph. It made her remember this one time, when a man after one of her show had asked her to marry him in front of a hundred of people, a question which had made her laugh a little, happy to see that she had, at least, a charisma too and she could be pretty for someone.

"It seems like you're in deep thought." Finn said, tearing her away from her thoughts.

"I am, indeed" She admitted. She wanted to be close to him so she sped up so that she was walking beside him, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body. Her mind was telling her to take his hand in hers, but she feared it would be weird for him and for her too. Why the hell would she want to take the hand of a man she barely knew? She shook her head, irritated with herself.

"Can I ask you what you were thinking?" He asked, still looking in front of him.

"My life back in New York" she answered simply wondering why he wanted to know what she was thinking. It was new.

"How is it, over there?" he asked again. He seemed really interested which pleased Rachel. Maybe he was beginning to care about her a little.

"Well, it's different from here. There are a lot of people everywhere, and you are never alone. You can hear the sound of traffic all of the time; day or night. Many talented people go there to realize their dreams and the only real piece of nature is a park, Central Park." Finn nodded his head, indicating for her to go on. "I like it there, it's where I belong I think. Every dream I have had has been realized in New York, and my best friends are with me, so I couldn't ask for much more. I always dream big, and I can't see myself going anywhere else in the future, but you never know, that could change." She explained, happy to share a small part of her life with him.

"I know the feeling" he commented.

"I figured. I can totally imagine you walking down Times Square scared that you might push someone and not knowing what to do with yourself at all." laughed Rachel. She was also imagining him in New York, asking her about everything he was seeing.

Finn laughed with her for the first time. "Well, it would be fun, I think" he said.

Wow, he had a really beautiful laugh. It fit him and his personality. Seriously, what had happened to him during the night?

The moment shared between the two was playing in her head as they continued walking. Rachel suddenly stopped, stunned by a magnificent lake in front of her. It was quite large; the water was as blue as the sky on a sunny day and so clear that you could see fish swimming beneath the surface. The beauty of the lake took Rachel's breath away; she couldn't believe she was witnessing the beauty in front of her. She kneeled next to it and gently caressed the water with her hand.

"Finn, look how beautiful it is!" Rachel exclaimed, amazed.

"I see, Rachel, I see" Finn said, but he wasn't looking at the lake, he was looking at her.

Rachel noticed and her face turned an interesting shade of red. She knew he stared sometimes, but he was usually more subtle about it. This time, however, he was staring at her without shame. Wanting to ease some of the tension, Rachel jumped into the lake. She was immediately cooled by the water that was also cleaning her after a week without a shower. It felt so good that she moaned in pleasure. She swam in the water a little, and soon looked at Finn, still on the bank. He was watching her with his mouth agape like she was doing something great.

"Why are you looking at me like that…?" Rachel muttered, scared she was doing something wrong.

"How do you do that?" He asked. She shook her head, unsure of what he was asking. "Floating in the water like that, without your feet touching the ground. Are you moving your feet like a fish?"

She couldn't help it, she laughed a little before joining him on the bank. "I'm swimming, Finn. You never learned how?" She knew he obviously hadn't, but he confirmed it with a shake of his head.

She tried not to be so shocked. Well, at least there was something she could teach him, for a change. "Come on, I'll show you"

Surprisingly, he jumped up and walked into the water. He was so tall, he was able to make it to where she was floating with his feet still touching the bottom. He stood near her, the water almost to his armpits, and waited her instruction.

"Okay so first, you're going to stay standing while you move your arms. You alternate the movement of your arms, almost as if you were giving the water a hug- just keep your arms rotating, okay?" he nodded like a good student who was deep in thought, clearly trying to visualize her directions. "Do the same with your legs and you'll realize that you're keeping yourself afloat. Go on, try, I'll be here to catch you if you're drowning." Rachel smiled as Finn began trying to swim using her instructions. When he failed miserably, he cursed quietly, clearly mad at himself for failing. "Finn, it's normal. Most people can't swim the first time they try. You have to practice some more, then it will be just as easy as walking. Don't worry ans believe me." She knew he needed reassurance, since, as a leader, he must not be used to failing. She put her hand on his chest to help him keep his head above the water while he was floating and working his arms and legs. His gaze was determined, creating a wrinkle on his forehead; something Rachel found cute. She took advantage of the closeness, enjoying the feeling of touching his chest. Being close to him made her feel good in an inexplicable kind of way.

Several minutes later he was still trying. He had begun to learn how to swim and Rachel was hardly even helping him anymore. She removed her hand and let him try on his own. He immediately began to swim away from her. Because of her, he was doing it! Rachel clapped her hands "Awesome Finn! You're swimming, see" She must have startled him, because he turned to see her and a wave hit him in the face, causing him to inhale water into his nose. He was too far away from the bank and he couldn't reach the bottom. Rachel feared he may be drowning and didn't think twice before swimming rapidly toward him. She took him by the arm, pulling him to where he could reach the bottom of the lake. He planted his feet and took in a needed breath, accidentally pushing Rachel under the water. She still couldn't reach the bottom and took in a small amount of water. Rachel surfaced and coughed, grabbing Finn by the neck so he could carry her so she wouldn't fall again.

"I think we're done for the day" She declared, still catching her breath and she quickly realized the position she had put herself in. Her hands were around his neck, her chest pressed against his, with her legs wrapped around his waist. She had no idea how she could handle being this close to him and how she ended up this way either.

Finn still hadn't said a word and she slowly raised her head to face him. She looked at him, shocked at what she saw. His features were soft and he was looking directly in her eyes. They had never been so close to each other. And who was she to lose such an opportunity? She was now using it to admire his amber eyes and dimples. Wanting more, she took a risk and touched his left cheek, first touching his dimples then his nose. Her fingers, seemingly on their own, traced his lips. They were perfect; every single part of him was perfect. She noticed that his breathing had sped up, or maybe it was just hers. She studied him again and felt his grip tighten on her waist. Maybe this was affecting him too.

In a hesitant and hushed voice, he asked "Can I try something?"

Right now; in this situation Rachel's response would be: _do anything you want, like really, anything. I'm your slave _but deciding against it, and fascinated by what he would want to try, she just nodded.

When he leaned closer to her until their lips brushed, she stopped breathing. He didn't close his eyes nor she did, but when he did it again she pulled lightly on his neck to kiss him more fully on the lips. They both closed their eyes and kissed slowly and passionately, like a normal first kiss. Rachel took control of the kiss, forgetting for a moment that she was finally kissing Finn, to fully enjoy the moment. She nipped a little at his bottom lip before tracing his upper lip with her tongue, Finn allowed it then did the exact same thing to her, causing her to smile in their kiss. He pulled away first but unlike the first time they had been close, he didn't runaway, instead, he kept her closer with a mysterious smile on his lips. It's when she started to breathe again.

"That's the first time I have ever done that." He started

"I'm glad I was your first." And she was. She felt like she had just come home, when she was in reality miles away from her home.

* * *

viii.

The next three days passed quickly and the majority of them were spent walking, seeking food, and sometimes even talking. Finn even did some hunting. Rachel spent a lot of time watching him and trying to understand how he worked, but, truthfully, most of her days were busy replaying in her mind their kiss. They never kissed again, but she felt that they had grown closer. Sometimes Finn would put his hand on her back to help her pass a big tree or something, and he wasn't doing those kinds of things before. God knew she wanted more, she desperately wanted him to kiss her again, but she didn't want to push him. More importantly, she'd like to know what was going on in his head. She wanted to know what he was feeling and more specifically, what he was thinking about her. Maybe this was just an experience for him, but she needed to know the answer. Although Rachel wasn't sure she knew what real love felt like, she felt something for Finn. She wanted to know how he felt.

Right now, however, Finn had hopes that he could teach Rachel how to hunt animals so that they could eat tonight. Rachel didn't have the guts to tell him that she cared too much about animals to even think about hurting them, so she kept her mouth closed and didn't say a word. She followed behind him quietly in the forest while he was pointing his arrow waiting for a target. "Stop moving" he ordered and she complied. She perked up her ear to hear if there was movement, but only heard the tree leaves rustling. Finn was staring intently, in a mission. The seriousness of his features made her chuckle. Then, he took one step and pulled back on the arrow then let it go.

"Huuuuh" Rachel jumped, covering her eyes.

Finn approached where his arrow had landed "It's fine, it's not dead" he said, bending down to pick up a wounded rabbit. He handed it over to Rachel and she held it close to her chest, caressing the animal. As Finn had said, it was only wounded.

"You're so cute baby. It's okay now." Rachel always loved speaking to animals. She secretly wished to own a dog as soon as she had enough time to take care of it. "Finn, isn't he cute? I'm sure it's a boy."

When she looked up, she saw him staring at her intently. He shook his head and gave her a stick. "Hit it behind his neck to kill him, now." His tone had no feeling and was harsh.

It hurt Rachel when he acted this way; either with her or with other people. She took the stick reluctantly and breathed deeply, she knew he was watching her every move. "Okay, I'm sorry sweetie, but we need to eat tonight, so forgive me" She was scared as hell, and was already feeling guilty for what she was about to do. She tightened her hold on the rabbit and posed the stick on the rabbit's neck. She counted to three in her head. _One… Two… Three… _"RUUUUUN!" she screamed while dropping the rabbit. She ran after him, hoping to scare him away. When the injured rabbit got away, Rachel was happy and smiled proudly while clapping her hands, ready to be scolded by Finn. She didn't regret what she did, she just didn't kill animals. She turned and walked towards Finn, her head held high. What she hadn't expected was to see him smirking at her, especially after she had permit their meal to run away. "What? You're not mad?" she asked, quite surprised.

He shrugged, walking over to her and taking the stick. "I knew you wouldn't do it, I just wanted to see you try" he smiled at her again. He pushed her hair out of her eyes gently, making her go jelly in the legs.

"You're breathtaking when you let your guard down, Finn" she confessed. The words had escaped her mouth. Had she seriously just said that to him? But she didn't feel ashamed of admitting it, it was the truth. She wanted him to know he was special in her eyes.

"What does that mean?" he asked shyly, still close to her.

"It means you're beautiful and it makes me want to kiss you" She dared, a mischievous gaze on her face.

Finn grinned at her. "Well, maybe we can kiss again then."

Finally they were talking about kissing, at least she was. She didn't know if she would have the chance to kiss him again after this, so she decided to take her time. She rose and her tip toes to be at his level and kissed him on the cheek first, then traveled her lips to his mouth, ready to taste him after three long days of dreaming about it. He pulled her closer, like if he had been doing it all his life. He pressed his chest to hers, one hand on her back while the other was slowly making his way up her arm, then past her neck to finally rest on her cheek. She breathed deeply into the kiss and pushed against his lips, ready to feel his tongue against hers. Mesmerized and feeling cherished for the first time in her life, she put her hand over his on her cheek and squeezed it. When they eventually broke apart for air, they stared at each other dumbly. Well, she stared at him dumbly as she watched him studying her face; you could see he was focused on something by the way his forehead winkled.

"Finn, you think way too much"

Feeling bold, she wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her chin on his chest. He was so strong it was crazy; he was as hard as a stone yet his skin was as soft as a new born.

"This is different from what I'm used to. I feel different and I don't know if it's good Rachel." He didn't let go of her and she was at a loss of words. She knew it was a lot for him to take in; as he said, this was something new for him.

"Finn… Close your eyes a second please" He complied almost immediately. Once she was sure he had his eyes closed, she unclasped her arms from around his body. "Just feel" she instructed. She roamed her hands over his chest, discovering him more intimately. Both her hands were moving the same on each side of his body, and as she massaged his pectoral muscles she was watching his reaction. He seemed to relax a little, so she moved to treat his abs the same way. She finished by leaning over his chest and placing a kiss first, on his left pec, then the right. When she started moving her head to kiss his neck, he took in a deep breath and gripped her waist. He bent down to capture her lips in a heated kiss she didn't know he had in him. Rachel moaned in pleasure loving that he let himself be so free with her. She hoped this would be the beginning and that he would open himself to her even more. She was the first one to break the kiss this time.

"Come we have to find some fruit to eat." She said, giddy.

She walked away from him, knowing full well that he had noticed she was the one telling him what to do. Usually, it was him who was giving orders, but this time it was her. He didn't seem to mind and smiled as he followed her. She knew he would. They were starting to know each other which was easy when you were spending almost every hour of your day with the same person.

They were sitting and eating a little while later, and Rachel was astounded by the sunset in front of her. It was beautiful; she wondered if anyone else was able to see this kind of color or if was only for her and Finn. Mixed with the clouds was a mixture of orange, purple, blue and red, it was surreal to believe she was witnessing this once again.

"I guess you're so surprised because you're not used to seeing such beauty" Finn declared, startling her as he ate an apple they had found earlier.

"You're right. Where I live, we barely see stars anymore or if we do, we simply don't take time to watch them. It's why I like being here. I am doing a lot of things I didn't do before. It's enjoyable, being here." She confessed. "Thank you"

"Why are you thanking me?" He asked.

"I know I must be a burden for you, but thank you anyway to allow me to live with you like this." She really wanted him to know that it meant a lot to her and that she sure has hell wasn't taking it for granted. She had been blessed in her life and now, even more so.

Finn looked a little taken aback by her confession. "You're welcome" he told her, his gaze piercing.

They ate in silence after that, both too deep in their own thoughts to acknowledge the presence of the other. Finn thought his mind was going to explode at one point, not knowing how to handle the change that the petite brunette from America had brought into his life. His forehead furrowed when he replayed their kiss; she was like a magnet for him and he didn't understand why he needed to be next to her. He kept himself close enough to her so he could touch her any time and if he wasn't touching her, at least he was staring at her. She had bewitched him in a way and he didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. He thought that it could be good, maybe because it made him feel awesome; he was completely at ease when he was kissing her. He also thought that it could be a bad thing because she wasn't a part of his world and knew nothing about him. She was letting him the time to process the changes, and he was grateful to her for that. He couldn't let what she called _feelings_ get in the way of protecting his tribe. He wondered if he was drawn to her because she was the first person he saw that was like him. He knew it was a part of the reason, but he wanted to hide the painful memory deep down.

"I was wondering, Finn." He looked up at her, pulled from his thoughts. "I never saw the master of your tribe, but Paulo told me he was really important".

_Oh you have no idea how important he is, Rachel. _He thought to himself. Casually, trying not to make a big deal of her interest in the master he answered "He is, and you saw him already. He doesn't make himself known to strangers as he is a pillar of the tribe and possess a lot of power" he explained.

She nodded her head in understanding. "What kind of power?"

Damn her and her curiosity. Despite it, Finn chuckled, finding her interest in almost everything cute. "Well, he can do and say anything he wants and people will do it and have no choice. He can even have members of the tribe ordered killed and our people will have to do it, because the master said so. See what I mean?" Her wide eyes made him believe that she understood.

"I'm lucky he didn't do such a thing because of what happened the other day. It would have caused a lot of sadness for my friends and family back in New York." She commented. She was trying not to imagine her death. She knew Kurt would find a way to tell her 'I told you so' even after her death and it brightened her mood instantly. Naturally, she leaned a little to be able to exchange a kiss with Finn and couldn't help but ask "Would you let the master do that to me?" She needed to know how he was feeling.

Instead of answering, Finn shrugged his shoulders and stood up, preparing himself to sleep. Rachel was left hanging once again. Knowing that this was unknown territory for him, she didn't let the anger she felt get the best of her. She finished her 'meal' and went to ready herself for sleep at opposite of Finn. She rolled herself into a ball to stay warm, but in a way, it felt a little bit weird to be so far away from him, especially after being so close to him the past few days. It felt wrong. She hoped to fall asleep quickly, but after counting three hundred Mississippi and singing _Don't Rain on My Parade _in her head ten times she still hadn't found the sleep she longed for. The space between her and Finn was making her uncomfortable. She pushed aside the fear of being pushed away by him, knowing that deep inside he felt at least a little something for her, and quietly stood up, walking to where he was lying.

"Finn, I can't sleep. Do you mind if I join you." She whispered in the dark.

He seemed to be weighing the pros and the cons, as he didn't answer right away. She decided that he wasn't going to answer her and she turned away and began to walk to her previous place on the ground. Her disappointment turned to joy when she heard a soft "Come here"

She kneeled next to him, trying to see his face in the dark, and reached for him. She rested a hand on his chest to help guide herself into position next to him. She felt his arms make their way around her waist, the action startling her at first, then he pulled her close so that her back was again his chest. He was warm and she fitted perfectly against him. Rachel was molding every part of Finn's body and they were both well aware of each other closeness, it was crazy how perfect she felt at this moment. She didn't know if it was part of a dream or if it was real, but she felt a kiss being pressed against her hair as she drifted off into the unconsciousness of sleep.

* * *

ix.

She felt well rested the next morning when she awoke and was glad she had spent the night in the arms of Finn. Who was she kidding? She felt like a teenager sleeping in the arms of her Prince charming. Yes, she was feeling this way. She decided that today she was going to ask him a little more about his feelings. They had kissed a few times and even though she tried to be understanding and let him go at his own pace, she desperately wanted to know more about him. She had never felt so strongly about someone she barely knew in such a short period of time. Rachel was the kind of person that went after what she wanted and now, she wanted to know Finn better. She wanted to be more for him too, after all, she could still be someone for him. She was a smart woman and she knew she wouldn't be spending the rest of her life here, meaning that she was taking a risk being this close to Finn, but her mind was going crazy every time he would look at or touch her. It might be less new for her than it was for him, but the intense feelings she felt toward him were as new to her as they were to him.

She sat up to look for Finn and when she didn't see him, she stood up quickly. She was a little scared to be left alone in the immensity of this forest. She relaxed quickly when she noticed him in the lake a few feet away from where they had been sleeping. She walked over to the bank and sat on the edge letting her feet dangle in the warm water. She smiled proudly as she watched Finn swim in front of her. He had improved a lot and was now as good of a swimmer as she was, even if he was still making that adorable face every time he took water in through his nose. She watched him for a while until he finally noticed her and stopped swimming to look at her.

"Hey Rachel, did you sleep well?" he asked her casually while swimming to be in front of her.

When he did little things like ask her if she had slept well, she thought that maybe it was a habit she could get used to. He stood in front of her almost awkwardly, a position he probably had never been in. _Damn, he's cute… _To help, she offered her hand to him so he could take it. It pleased her to see that he didn't hesitate before taking her hand and greeting her with a small smile.

"Wonderfully, thanks to you." She said. She pulled him close to her without letting his hand go; instead she laced their fingers together.

They were the same size while she was sitting on the bank and he was in the water, so she moved closer to him and placed a little peck on his lips. Noticing that he didn't push her away, she opened her legs so that he could stand closer to her and she encircled her arms around his neck, ready to kiss him more deeply. She felt his hands move to rest on her waist softly; she knew that he had never touched a woman this way before and for that she was feeling content. He was still so pure. Their closeness was making her so hot that she bite his upper lip before soothing it with her tongue.

Finn groaned a little at her action and tightened his hold on her waist as he kissed her neck for the time. He didn't know why he wanted to kiss her neck, but he loved doing it and Rachel seemed to like it, evident by her pushing his head against her neck harder. His body reacted in a weird way. His lower part was throbbing almost painfully, yet it brought him a sort of pleasure he had never felt. He pulled himself closer so that their bodies were touching as much as possible then he went back to kissing her on the lips. He parted her lips with his tongue and explored her mouth, savoring her taste and the heat it provided, while her hands trailed to caress his back. When she whimpered, he pulled away a little and looked at his loin cloth between them. The prominent hard on he had could easily be seen by both of them.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean for that to happen" he apologized hoping he hadn't offended her.

She laughed lightly "It's okay, I know you can't control it Finn" she assured him. Little did he know that Rachel felt proud that her body was able to have such an effect on him.

He smiled at her, pecked her lips once and got out of the water. Without thinking, Rachel caressed her lips with her hand and wondered if, from now on, Finn would kiss her just because he wanted to. She certainly hoped so. Shaking her head to leave her trail of thought, she excitedly followed him "What are the plans for today?"

"As usual, walking. Does that make you happy?" he teased her.

She shrugged. She wanted to do new things, but she wasn't the one who decided and after all she would be with Finn, so it couldn't be that bad, right?

He gathered all of his belongings – a knife, a rope and an arc – and waited for her next to a tree. She gathered her things into her bag and threw it over her shoulder. She walked to where he was waiting and they once again started walking.

She was in a good mood and felt like talking so she approached Finn, when they were close enough to each other that their arms brushed against each other, she started. "Finn, am I the first girl you have spent a lot of time with, or was there another?" she admittedly wasn't starting with a light subject, but he wasn't a teenager – obviously- and should be able to handle a mature conversation with her.

He looked at her skeptically and sighed. "You really are curious about everything" he stated. He liked that she was so interested in everything, it was an admirable quality that he was getting used to. Finn was getting used to her. Even to him, it felt wrong yet right as she was Rachel, the one occupying his thought most of the time now.

"I try to care about people in my life, you know" she teased.

"I'm sure of it" he chuckled.

"So…?" She wasn't going to let him try to avoid the question; she just wouldn't let him do so.

"You're the first girl I have kissed. We don't kiss. I guess it answers your question."

" If you don't kiss, how do you make babies then?" She asked, immediately wanting to slap her own forehead. That was a stupid question. But, his laughter was worth it. He was becoming more and more carefree around her, and he was even more beautiful when he let his guards down.

"I don't think you need to kiss to make babies, Rachel"

"So you basically just fuck" She tried to imagine her and her future husband not loving each other, but she quickly tried to erase the image. She didn't like it.

"Basically, yes" to him it sounded normal, it was how he was raised.

"Must be fun to be a wife in your tribe" she mocked. He didn't pay attention to her sarcasm. "Anyway, I'm happy to be your first and I'll be gladly the next" she hinted, amused. She was left almost speechless when he took her hand and laced their fingers together again. Her hand was so tiny in his and she secretly loved the difference. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "You're a natural Finn, you seem like you have already had a girlfriend" Rachel admitted.

"It's you that makes me act this way, I think. Believe me, I have never done this before but my mind is telling me to and it makes me feel good…"

The fact that he was trying to explain what he was thinking and feeling made Rachel dizzy. She knew he would find a way with words in the end. She wound her arm around his bicep and kissed it to show him she was grateful that he was talking to her. They had already come a long way since her first day, when he was just ordering her around and making her feel weak and like a child. "Don't restrain yourself with me Finn. I like you" _Really really like you… _She thought. She didn't say it out loud; it made it too real even to herself.

"I'll try." He watched her intensely and opened his mouth to start again, but his attention was redirected to the sound of branches breaking nearby.

Rachel, paralyzed by fear, stopped moving and closed her eyes hoping it was just a nice animal. But when she felt Finn grabbing her by the arm and pulling her behind him, she understood it wasn't what she hoped for. The force of his hold making her wanting to scream but she restrained herself by biting her lip. Seconds later, she hadn't felt Finn move, so she dared to open her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that Finn had his knees bent like a lion ready to jump on its prey. The second thing she noticed was the group of people encircling them; they each had a spear in their hands. What scared Rachel the most was the fact that the spears were all being pointed at her and Finn, and she definitely did not like the murderous look in their eyes. For the second time since she landed here, she sighed dramatically and said to herself: _We're screwed._

* * *

**_Yes, I know I really love cliffhanger.  
_**

**_I hope I didn't disapointed you with this second part..._**

**_Tell me what you think !_**

**_-A (DreamMeCory on Twitter)  
_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! So I wanted to tell you that this is an AU so there is a few things that are different from the real life. I'm aware that people who lives in a tribe are not necessarely like I described them in here, and bare with me when I say it's just for the story and how I see it.**

**Also, some warning for this chapter. This isn't Rated M for no reason and it's accurate on this chapter. It's not lemon it's something bad but I don't want to tell more now. You'll see for be aware.  
**

**Thanks to firewifesara who is still the best beta I could ask for:)**

* * *

x.

"Don't move" Finn said quietly, taking special care to see that Rachel was the only one who could hear him.

For the record, Rachel has no intentions to move or talk at all, especially since she was paralyzed by fear. Her muscles were petrified and she could clearly hear, and feel, her own heart beating wildly in her chest. She knew the whole time what was happening around her and it made her realized that, for the first time in her life, she had never been so afraid. She was sure she wouldn't be as scared if Finn hadn't taken a stance like he was an animal protecting his prey, in this case, her. She watched his features fall into a hard line and all his muscles were contracted; he was ready to jump and he was clearly fuming. That's why she was scared.

The people were encircling Finn and Rachel and they looked like they were not happy to see them. But why would they hurt them, they hadn't done anything wrong.

After a few seconds, a man, still pointing his spear, made two steps toward them.

"Where are you from?" The man's tone was sharp and direct in every way possible.

"Tribe of Manaus" Finn answered simply.

Finn wouldn't allow himself to appear scared; at least not outwardly, it was something Rachel couldn't hide as easy. If she could, she would literally beg them to let them go. Not before throwing a Rachel Berry tantrum first, of course.

The aggressors must have liked Finn's answer, because they all lowered their spears, finally allowing Rachel to let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "We would like for you to follow us to our village. As you must know, you are right now on the territory of the Tribe of Arapahos." One of the men ordered.

Someone, who Rachel assumed was the master, had ordered them to do something and she hoped that Finn wouldn't fight him on that. She understood the fact they weren't in the position to fight against them or even to argue about it. She waited for him to make a move and when he did, she stood by him and relaxed as much as she could in this situation. One of the members of the tribe moved to stand behind them, two more put themselves on either side of them, and the supposed leader led the way through the trees.

Finn was always on his guard and had not yet looked at her, but he stood up straight and followed the leader, all the while holding Rachel's hand. It reassured her a little to have Finn next to her and holding her hand, but she couldn't help that all the eyes that were on her made her nervous.

"Finn, what is happening?" she asked, worry written all over her face.

For the first time since this nightmare began or what was going to be one, Finn acknowledged her presence. He lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry, Rachel, we will talk later, when no one will hear us. I got your back."

She believed him. She knew he wouldn't let her be eaten, or worse, by them. For now, she just had to calm down and try to think of something else for the time being. Maybe she could focus on the way Finn was rubbing circles on her hand with his thumb. That made her smile.

They didn't walk long as it seemed, but Rachel was relieved when she saw smoke a few meters away. She figured that being with this unknown tribe could bring one of two options: either this tribe will be amazing and invite them as guests to share a meal before letting them continue on their journey, or bad things were going to happen. Rachel was a dreamer and she if she had her way, she would choose the happy one. Knowing her luck, though, it wouldn't be that easy.

When they arrived at their destination, it surprised Rachel to see it was arranged the same way the Tribe of Manaus was. The fire and tents were all set up in a circular pattern. However, what caught her attention was the amount of people who were working. There were so many and she was sad to see that they didn't look happy at all. There were little kids peeling some sort of fruits while their mothers washed clothes in a tub full of dirty water. Their expressions made her heart ache for them. How can you let so many people be this sad and lifeless without doing something? She continued walking next to Finn, looking straight ahead instead of the scene around her, she hoped to prevent herself from crying.

When they entered the foreign village, the people looked at her with a look of surprise that quickly turned to pity. She started to shake and forced herself to control her emotions. Finn must have felt her shaking, because he tightened his hold on her. Maybe he knew how scared she was feeling right now. But if he was afraid, he didn't show it. He stayed hard, making it clear to everyone how strong he was.

They were led to a tent that was larger than the others. The master stood in front of the tent and sent a few of his soldiers away, he then turned toward Finn and Rachel again and just watched them. He looked at Finn first, studying him from head to toe, then turned his attention to Rachel. He stared at her shamelessly, like she was a piece of meat.

She lowered her head to look at her feet, hoping he would not see her fear. She was worried a man like him would enjoy seeing her so scared. Rachel felt that maybe she had a new enemy; or maybe he had one, depending on how you looked at it. She heard him move slowly until he was right in front of her. Studying closely her every move. She felt Finn squeeze her hand, which he hadn't ever let go of. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, daring him with her eyes to touch her. She put her best acting skills to use and acted like she wasn't scared.

The man leaned down a little and smelled her hair, which Rachel thought was weird. When he raised a hand to touch her shoulder, Finn groaned loudly and pulled her closer to him, placing an arm around her shoulder protectively.

"Don't you dare touch her" Finn growled aggressively at the man.

The man turned his head to confront Finn he moved so close that their foreheads were almost touching. She watched the battle happening in their eyes and she suddenly felt very lucky that Finn was so tall; he towered over the man by at least a foot.

"She's not one of us. She does not belong here. You must know how we handle outsiders in our tribe."

Rachel sure as hell didn't want to know.

"She is a part of my tribe, so she is our responsibility; you have no right over her. Only I do." He did and if Finn had said that a week ago, she would have be angry about him treating her like a possession, but right now she would allow him to say whatever he wanted. She was keeping her mouth shut.

"I don't care, you are in our territory" The master spoke.

Rachel had no idea what had gotten into her when she opened her mouth "Yes, about that, we're just going to leave now" she said. The man turned toward her and before had raised his hand on her to hit her. Before she registered what was happening, Finn had stopped the other man from hitting her by pushing him on his chest, making him lose his balance and let go of Rachel. She took a stepped back a little, horrified by the turn of the events. The man regained control over his body and practically jumped on Finn. She wanted to scream but felt herself being grabbed from behind her; they brought her arms behind her back before dragging her away from Finn. She screamed with all she had "Fiiiiiiiiiiin!" She knew he was trying to defend himself, but she couldn't help it. She was scared as hell right now, and wanted to run as far away as she could.

Finn heard her scream and turned, he immediately began to move toward her, forgetting the fight he was in. He didn't make it too far before the man hit him on the head with a stick, causing him to fall to the ground in front of her eyes.

"Finn!" she fought against the grasp of her kidnappers like a mad woman, hoping to escape from her kidnappers.

She was surprised when she heard a sharp "Let her go" Just like that she was released from their hold.

She didn't waste a second and ran toward Finn. He was trying to get up while rubbing his head. "Finn, are you okay?" she asked. She kneeled next to him and took his head in her hands, checking for damage. He had been out only a few seconds and when he came to, he rose rapidly to his feet. He looked around him, angry, and took hold of Rachel, pulling her close to him.

Time seemed to stop and every man seemed to be standing, ready to fight again. Rachel knew it wasn't going to happen.

Finn spoke first: "Let us rest, we can talk more tomorrow and deal with the problem."

The man without a name nodded his head. "We will; this is not over. Take the tent next to this one" he said startling Rachel. He pointed at a little tent. "Don't even think about escaping. If we find you, we will kill you the second we have our hands on you. It is understood?"

They both nodded, Rachel maybe a little more eager than Finn. Finn led her to the tent and when they entered, she pulled him to her for a hug. She squeezed his waist with all her strength, letting her head rest on his chest so she could take in his scent to relax. Finn wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on hers.

"I'm so sorry Finn for speaking. I should have known, I-"

He stopped her rant immediately with a finger on her mouth. "You didn't know Rachel. It's not your fault and as I said earlier, I'm going to take care of you." He was tense against her, so she could tell he wasn't as peaceful as he. "I'm sorry he hit you. I promise I'll keep my mouth shut from now on." She promised, deposing a light kiss against his chest. She loved the feeling of doing that and began kissing every part of his chest that she could reach. She was relieved to be feeling his hand softly caressing her hair while he held her in his arms.

He shivered a little and moved his hand to lift her chin. He kissed her deeply; it wasn't like it usually was, it was less passionate and more frantic; they just wanted to know that right now they had each other, and nothing could happen to them. Even if Rachel thought she was the only one who was scared for their life and well-being. Finn breathed into their kiss and his tongue entered her mouth, pushing to feel her tongue against his, earning him a moan from her. When they broke apart for air, Rachel was breathless as she looked into Finn's eyes and rested a kiss on the little scar he had on his cheek. Finn's lips lifted into a little smile.

"Do you really think you cannot talk for a long period of time?" he asked her sweetly.

"Yes, I can, especially under these circumstances, when both our lives are potentially in danger. And don't you dare think I can't do it, otherwise you will be in a lot more trouble than you were fighting with that man ten minutes ago!" Rachel said. She was trying to keep her serious face, but Finn knew she was just joking.

He chuckled a little before placing a kiss on her forehead. She was grateful to feel cared for by him, in this moment. "Okay, okay I believe you, then"

"Thank you, Finn, I appreciate it." They both knew, she wouldn't be able to. "So, it's must be close to noon, can you explain to me what we are going to do until tomorrow in a tent all day?" she asked. It was a question that had no clear answer, right now she would enjoy any answer Finn could give as long as they were both safe and together at best.

"Well, maybe you can rest a little; it will only do you good. I know you feel tired since it's all new for you. I will look up on you. Go lay down."

She had to admit that her body was really tired. Her muscles were aching because of all the activities she had been doing. The only moment of rest she received was when the night came. Unfortunately, the bed she slept in wasn't very comfortable so she hadn't had a good sleep in a very long time. _I swear, once I'm back in NY I'm spending a week in my bed. I'm only getting out of it to eat. _She thought to herself.

She made it two steps out of Finn's arms before lying on the floor. She curled up and sighed happily. She watched Finn and when he didn't move, she patted the space next to her, wanting for him to join her. He complied immediately and lay next to her so that they were face to face. Rachel smiled at him and used her being at his level to her advantage; she rested her hand on his cheek so she could trace his features. The more time she spent looking at him, the more she found him to be attractive, if that was possible. Finn wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her closer. Neither of them spoke a word for a moment, too lost in each other's eyes. After a while, Rachel leaned to kiss Finn lightly on the lips. She was the first to break the silence.

"You know, I always wondered why your skin is white Finn. Who are your parents?" As expected, Finn tensed and stopped the motions on her back. "Finn, it's okay. I just want to know more about you." Rachel encouraged. She was trying not to push him but it was kind of hard when every time she wanted to know things he was getting tensed.

Without looking at her, he mumbled: "I never talked about it, Rachel, I don't know if I can."

The hurt look in his eyes pained her and she could tell he really was struggling. "Finn, do you remember the first time we kissed?" she asked with a smile. When he nodded, she continued. "For me, it felt like coming home. I know we're really different because we have been raised different from each other, but what I know is that it must have happened for a reason. Maybe something was meant for us. We were brought together for a reason. I'm sorry I came into your life changing the way you see things, but I know I would never do you wrong. I like you Finn. In a way I never did before. I like being with you, touching you, watching you and I know I can trust you with my life. For example, right now, I'm not afraid because I'm with you. You made me feel that way; I want you to trust me the same way and maybe you'll see that trusting someone isn't an act of weakness but one of strength. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" How could she make him understand half of the things she was feeling for him without scaring him off? Finn seemed to think for a moment and Rachel could see the battle happening inside him. A small part of her was feeling sad that she was begging him to open up to her, changing what he had always known. Was it right for her to turn his world upside down? Probably not.

He remained silent and Rachel gave up. "I'm sorry Finn. I know I keep telling you that. You have to believe me when I say I wished I didn't feel anything for you, I wish you would be just another friend for me, but I can't help it. It's here in my heart" she took his hand and rested it on her heart so he could feel her heartbeat.

She moved to stand up, no longer able to bear the silence after her confession. It was the first time she had opened herself to someone this way and she didn't want to feel hurt, but her pride was getting in the way of that. She hoped he wouldn't let her go.

He didn't. He grabbed her arm and sat up with her, making her stop her movement. He moved her hair behind from her face and cupped her cheek; she leaned into his hand kissing his palm. "Don't be sorry please. I know how you feel; I keep asking myself why I'm acting this way around you. I'm a man of action. Feelings have never been involved. But Rachel, I understand now what feelings are and, even if I don't know the depth of them, I feel them in me. You have the right to know more about me and I promise I'm gonna try my best for you. For me too." He acknowledge, his tone serious.

"Finn, you don't have-" he stopped her with a kiss and she thought she had never liked him more than in that moment.

"I want to." He said before sealing his statement with another kiss.

Rachel wrapped her arms around him, pushing him on the floor to kiss him deeply. She moved to straddle him, their chests pressed together and the heat rising exponentially. They broke apart, a smile on their both lips. She hoped that kiss would convey all her gratitude to his efforts. She rested her hand on his chest and her head on her hands. When he took a deep breath she knew this was it.

"I don't remember a lot. Just a woman deposing me in the forest when I was 5 or 6 I think. I already knew how to speak English, so I guess, I could be from America, like you. I remember walking a lot searching for my mom in the forest, never finding her. I was so thirsty my throat was hurting until I found myself with this group of people. I didn't have the same accent as the people in the tribe who took me in and I stopped talking for months. I would only tell them my name when they asked me. They took care of me as if I was on of theirs. A few years later, I had come to the conclusion that my Mom had given up on me and would never come find me or take me back. That is when I started to talk again and made it my new mission to take care of the people that saved my life. They are all I have, and I could never thank them enough. That's why I don't look like the rest of the tribe and why I don't have a common name. I wasn't born in this forest. My name is all I have left from your world."

By the time he was finished, Rachel had tears in her eyes. How could you abandon your child in a forest like that? Finn's eyes were glistening and she knew he was emotional, but she knew he didn't want show it. She sat on his chest, and caressed his cheeks. She placed light kisses all over his face. "Thank you, Finn." He looked her in the eyes and gave a grateful smile so she continued "You became an incredible man, and everyone would be proud of you." She needed for him to feel worth it. She understood now why he was so cold and distant. His role in the tribe was close to his heart and he needed to prove that he was worthy of their acceptation and that he belonged with them. Her heart ached even more when she tried to imagine how hard it must have been for him to try to feel at home in a place that wasn't meant to be yours, especially after someone gave up on you.

"I just want to belong." He said simply.

She immediately replied "You do. I saw it. The kids looks up to you and every single one of them respect and admire you for who you are and what you're doing for them." She assured.

"I don't think they admire me, Rach. Only you do so." He smiled at his own words, lighting the mood.

"I do no such thing, Finn! Well, maybe the first time I saw you, but now that I know how sensible you can be I don't admire you. At all" she lied laughing.

"See, told you." He rolled them over, so he was on top of her between her legs. He kissed her neck twice and laced their fingers together. He held himself up with his elbows so he wouldn't crush her.

"I admire you too, don't worry" his admission make Rachel giddy, and she crushed her lips to his. The fact that she could do that whenever she wanted to, was making her feel amazing.

"Come on, sleep now. I'll wake you up if it's needed." Finn said as he made himself comfortable next to her, allowing them to rest for a while in each other's arms. And this time she knew she wasn't dreaming when he placed a kiss on her hair.

xi.

Rachel felt a hand over mouth and a strong voice barked at her in a hushed tone "Don't scream." She opened her eyes rapidly all her sense already on alert mode. The man was almost hurting her and Rachel was trying to understand what was happening. She wanted to know where she was and what was going on. "You're going to stand up, and if you say a word, we will kill your friend." The man instructed. She couldn't see who it was because of the darkness that surrounded her. She felt the man tear his hand away from her mouth and help her to her feet. She could tell Finn was still next to her since she could feel his heat and presence. She hoped he would wake, because she knew whatever was going to happen next wouldn't be good. From behind her, the man led her outside the tent where she noticed a few other men waiting for her. She was terrified and trying her best to not pass out by focusing on her breathing. The fire wasn't very far away and it provided just enough light to see the men. She recognized a few of the men them from when they were captured earlier. She could also saw the master; who she would have spit on if she wasn't so vulnerable.

She was suddenly pushed violently against a tree. Two men grabbed her arms, forcing to stand against the tree. She was panicking now, a lot. Every man was looking at her while waiting for the master's instructions. Instead of speaking he walked to her and she now understood that he was not going to be giving orders, he was going to do his own dirty work, whatever that was.

"You're a witch who offended the master of this tribe. You must be punished for your actions. Women are to obey us, women are to follow us and you shouldn't be here. It is clear that you do not belong here, you are barely human to us."

In another situation, she would have laughed at the man, but he didn't seem to be joking. His tone was calm which made Rachel go mad. How could he be so calm in this situation? He couldn't treat her like she was nothing. "I'm more human that you are, dumbass" He slapped her and she groaned. She tried to kick him with her feet, but the men holding her made that impossible.

"This is why I don't like people from you world. Woman aren't dressed properly and do not know how to stay quiet and obey. It's okay though," His eyes were murderous and full of hate and her head was throbbing with rage, preventing her from being too afraid. "I'm going to show you that women are made to serve. Then you'll shut your mouth"

Poor him, he was full of hope. "Go to hell" She spit in a venomous tone.

He didn't seem impressed by her outburst and moved closer to her. Her arms and feet were still restrained so her only option was to scream, causing the man to hit her with so much force that it made her head dizzy. She lifted her head and started crying from rage or pain she didn't know. The pain was unbearable and she felt the man's hands starting to tear her top apart brutally.

"Please, don't do this." She begged, now understanding his real intentions. She let go of her pride and begged again "I will shut up, I promise" Her words were desperate and deep inside but she knew he wouldn't stop. He ripped off her bra then moved quickly to unbutton her shorts with violence. After she was exposed he worked to frantically free himself.

"FFIIIIIINN!" She screamed so loud it hurt her throat. She wasn't sure it would help, but she had to do everything she could to prevent this from happening. She felt restrained and disgusted and just wanted to go. Her tears were rapidly down her cheeks as he pumped his penis and tried to guide himself through her panties. She closed her eyes debating herself as much as she could as he was pinching her breast hurtfully until she felt the heat of him between her legs. She would have thrown up on him if she had anything in her stomach. "LET ME GO!" she screamed once again. He was undeterred and she felt him trying to push his way through past her defenses. She was squeezing her legs so much that he ordered his men to keep her legs apart. Rachel wasn't strong enough anymore and her head felt dizzy; she let herself pass out, hoping it would be over fast and that she wouldn't feel anything. As her eyes closed she felt movement around her. She thought she saw Finn but she wasn't really sure of anything anymore. Her head was hurting too much and her last conscious thought were of Finn.

O0o0

The first thing Rachel notice when she awoke was that she was being held by strong arms. She was being cradled like a baby; her head was resting on someone's shoulder and her legs were wrapped around a waist being supported under her knees. She could tell by the scent that it was Finn. She had been wrapped in some sort of blanket around her middle and it reminded her that her shirt had been ripped apart. It was then that it hit her. Her mind was racing as she replayed the earlier events she desperately wanted to forget. She wanted to fall asleep again. She closed her eyes tightly hoping it would help her to forget everything. It didn't, and she started to shake violently against Finn's chest. She started to cry feeling weak and dirty; she had never felt that way. When Finn felt that she was awake he moved her so that he could hug her. She only cried more and hoped she could find some comfort from Finn.

He stopped and sat on the ground and allowed her to calm down a little. She was glad she had him by her side at the moment because all she cared about was that she wasn't alone. Finn wiped away her tears and tried to get her to look at him but; she felt so ashamed that she didn't want to. "Please Rachel, look at me." His voice was unusually soft.

He knew he needed to go easy on her, and for that, she was grateful. She had to know what happened after she passed out, even if she really didn't want to know. She slowly lifted her cheek off his shoulder and tilted her head to look at him. She could see that he was worried.

"How you feel?" he asked simply.

She shrugged. "I've been better." Nothing in her life, not even the worse parts, could compare to being treated this way.

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

She wondered why he was apologizing for, he saved her life. "You-You have nothing to apologize for. It wasn't your fault. Can you tell me…What happened?" she tried her best to keep her emotions at bay. She remembered everything that had happened up until she passed, everything after that was a blank.

"I heard you scream." He began, caressing her back with both hands. He was looking in front of him. "At first, I thought I was having a nightmare, so I tried to hold you against me closer but you weren't there, I started to panic looking for you. I noticed that no one was around the tent so when I heard you scream again; I quietly headed toward the sound. And I saw them…" his jaw was clenched and she knew he was mad.

She put one hand on his neck and massaged him hoping he would calm down so he would stop squeezing her so tight that it was almost hurting her. She was concentrating on his heartbeat to calm herself as she hoped he would continue. Her crying had stopped without noticing and she felt safer in his hold.

"Rachel, I have never felt this way, it's like I blacked out and I couldn't restrain myself. I did the first thing I thought about. I-I…" He shook his head and looked away, ashamed.

Rachel rested her hand on his cheek to turn him back. "Go on, Finn. I'm not afraid of you no matter what you did" It was true; he was the only one she trusted.

"I grabbed the nearest stone and hit his head. The two who were holding you dropped you so they could defend themselves but I grabbed both their heads and knocked them into one another and they fall to the ground. I picked you up and ran away as fast as I could, their master was down so they didn't follow me. I found this towel along the way and covered you so you wouldn't be too cold."

He was really tense and she could only imagine his state of mind when he discovered her being attacked this way. She took a deep breath, afraid of her next question. "Did they…Did they-"

"No, they didn't. I arrived before he did but I'm sorry Rachel please, forgive me. I told you I would protect you and what they almost did…I feel so bad and angry with myself…"

It wasn't his fault, he was sleeping and he should not blame himself for it; she wouldn't let him, no matter how big his pride and fear was. "Please Finn. Don't do this to yourself." For the time being, they both needed to forget what happened and especially what could have. She hugged him one more time and rose to her feet. She tied the towel around her securely, happy she still had her shorts on. She held her hand out to help him up. She watched him gratefully and caressed his knuckles, her eyes full of love. He attempted a smile but shivered when she passed her hand over part of his hand. She looked at it and her eyes widened at what she saw. "Finn, why is your hand all bruised?" She could see that his hand was bruised with covered in dry blood and purple bruises.

"Hum… I may have hit a tree several times after I got us both safe… Anger just took over me" he explained. "But it doesn't hurt it's okay." It wasn't a total lie, it only stings a little.

Rolling her eyes, Rachel took his good hand and led him to the lake, except she didn't know where it was. "Finn, I don't where we are at all; we need to get your hand cleaned up, can you lead the way to the lake please?"

"I told you, it's fine. We have to head home and be safe, but if you don't feel good and want some rest we can. If you would rather leave now we can too, I would totally understand either way, Rachel" He said as she led him through some trees. Finn hoped she would want to stay and rest, he knew she could use it after what happened. He wouldn't blame her if what happened was too much to handle, she didn't plan for this to happen while she was here. He continued to walk with her.

As weak as she was, she still found the strength to glare at him while he looked down at her confused. "First, you don't tell me it's fine when you can barely move your hand and second don't you ever think you can get rid of me that easily."

A smile playing on his lips, he took her hand softly and led her to the lake.

* * *

**Some angst as you read but it won't last very long I swear !**

**You have to know that reviews make me write faster and motivate me a lot. Also, I always love to read some feedback on your thoughts.**

**So you know what you have to do...**

**With Love -A (DreamMeCory)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I have to say this wasn't my favorite part to write and I don't even know why. I prefer to write Finchel when they are together. Also, I think there will be 6 or 7 parts, so get ready.**

**Now on to the new part!**

* * *

xii.

After Rachel cleaned up Finn's hand at the lake so it wouldn't get infected, they agreed that they should take a nap. They needed to rest a little and hopefully forget the uneasiness that crept through both of them. Even though she was tired, Rachel didn't feel much like sleeping, it could be risky if the Arapahos Tribe was looking for them and hoping to take revenge. Finn seemed to read her mind because before she was able to voice her insecurities, he was proposing a plan: "Maybe we could try to sleep on the branch of a tree. They won't find us if we keep quiet." She would totally stop breathing if she had to by the way.

She looked at him quite confused, not able to visualize both of them sleeping on branches. "We could never fit. And what if we fall while we sleep?" She asked.

"I have a rope so we could tie ourselves up. It's what I usually do when I'm out here alone. I'm used to it."

"Well, I'm willing to try then. You will have to show me how to climb a tree. Even if at least, I won't be eaten by a lion today. Yay. Good news" she mocked.

Finn seemed to miss the joke and apologized "I'm sorry, Rachel"

She immediately felt guilty; she didn't mean it in a mean way. She just didn't know how to react anymore. She was so angry at the men who did this to her. She hated feeling weak and right she felt weaker than she had ever felt. She wanted to breakdown and cry again so that the pain and the fear would go away, but she was an adult and had to act like one. Maybe Finn wouldn't even want her anymore; maybe she was too much trouble for him. After all, this was all her fault. If she hadn't come here, none of this would have happened. Right now she didn't feel well at all, and she had to think of something else. She didn't respond to his apology, instead she moved next to a tree and tried to climb it. She chose to try to climb like a monkey and failed magnificently.

Finn chuckled quietly at her attempt, and he was glad she didn't notice. He didn't know how to act around her anymore too, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and apologize for what could have happened to her because he wasn't there to protect her like he should have. He wanted to tell her that he liked her and hold her and kiss her for hours, but he was afraid he would do something wrong. He didn't like the distance, but he guessed she needed her space at the moment. If that's what she needed, that's what he would give her.

He joined her next to the tree and put his hands under her thighs, lifting her so she could reach the lower branch. She was able to move herself to where she was sitting onto the branch, and then made room for him to join her. He jumped effortlessly and in record time, he was behind her, leaning against the tree trunk. He made himself as comfortable as he could be on branches and took Rachel in his arms softly; they needed to be close, since they would be both tied up with the rope.

The proximity of him eased her and she leaned into his chest, happy when he wrapped his arms around her middle. She closed her eyes but she felt guilty for behaving so spoiled and she had to talk to him. "You don't have to be sorry, you know. I'm sorry for my changing mood." It was unusual for her to be this vulnerable, but after being mean to him she had to find a way to keep her emotions at bay. He shouldn't be the one to suffer for her moods, it would be unfair. She didn't want to be this way with him, quite the contrary actually, he was a good person and she wanted to spend her time with him. Her adventure had taken an unexpected turn when she met him and it was changing even more with every minute she spent with him. She still wished it will lead to more good things when she will have to leave to go back home.

Home. Right now it was a word she shouldn't think about. Because being home meant being without Finn and for now, that wasn't an option. Trustfully, she wanted to be in the safety of her house as long as Finn was there with her too.

Finn didn't need words, he only tightened his hold around her and kissed her neck. It soothed her so she would be able to sleep for a while. Before she drifted to sleep, she swore to herself that she wouldn't let the event of that night ruin the rest of her journey. She was stronger than this, even if it killed her a little inside.

O0o0

"Finn!" she said in a hushed whisper hoping to wake up Finn "Finn, wake up." He was currently sleeping with his chin on her head so she shook her body a little to shake him awake; careful not to make them fall out of the tree even if they were tied up in.

Finn awoke and looked at her strangely. "What?" he asked. He then looked to see that Rachel was pointing in front of them.

Rachel slowly got out of the rope and crawled further out on the branch to be closer to her new friend; she was careful to hold on tight onto the branches by squeezing her thighs around it to keep herself still. Rachel was squirming in front of a little monkey who seemed really interested to see them there. The little cuteness was looking at her with his head turned and Rachel melted right there. "Oh my god. He so cute and he's so little." She turned to look at Finn who was simply watching her amazement at their guest. She didn't want to take any risks, so she asked Finn since he knew more about wild animals "Do you think, I can try to touch him?"

She briefly forgot her question when he stretched his arms; she could see every muscle he had flexing. He was so hot and it was surprising to her that she hadn't jumped on him already; she wanted to kiss every single part of his gorgeous body. Her favorite thing was the fact that he didn't even know how good looking he was; humility was hot too. In New York, people would pay to take a picture next to a God like him. He was humble and didn't know how lucky he was; Rachel sure as hell knew that she was.

Finn noticed that she was staring and smiled knowingly at her, she blushed and turned her attention back to the monkey as if nothing had happened.

"I don't really know, you can try to stretch your hand and see if tries to bite you." Finn wasn't really into monkeys and wasn't impressed to see one. They were everywhere; it would be like her seeing a dog. He didn't usually caress monkeys or other animals since they were usually his meal.

Rachel wanted to pet every animal she saw, like she had done with the rabbit. It was another thing that made them so different from each other and so he wouldn't really judge her. Besides, Finn liked it when she winkled her forehead in excitement; she was super cute. He didn't know for sure if this monkey would bite or hurt her, but this one seemed tame and he would protect her from the monkey if he had to.

The monkey jumped over to Rachel, making her lose her balance on the branch; luckily Finn was there to keep her still and balanced. It started to play with her hair making her grin and she laughed in delight. "Oh, baby, you have to come with us now." She said to the furry creature hoping he would understand. When it came to animals, she just couldn't help but turn into a childlike version of herself.

The Monkey seemed to have a crush on Rachel, and she was excited to bond with it. Finn helped her climb out of the tree so she could caress and kiss him until she played with him. She momentarily forgot Finn that was there and he didn't mind since the animal was giving his girl something else to think about.

His girl. God. It was the first time he referred to Rachel as his girl. It was a big deal to him, because when people bonded in his tribe, they made their relationship official publically so people would know who was still available for marriage. They would go to the center of the village where they would be surrounded by the tribe and say out loud: "From now, _this girl,_ is mine to take care of and have children with, I promise to be faithful and to honor my position as her man." It was a mostly symbolic tradition that had been passed down many generations. Sadly, Rachel could never his girl that way since she was not a part of their tribe. Sometimes, he loved fate because it had brought her in his life but sometimes he hated it because he would never be able to give her what she really needed. Yet, it felt like she was his; one thing was clear though, she had stolen a part of him, he was hers. Finn needed to clear his thoughts so he decided to leave to her so he could provide food for both of them, without going too far, of course as he would have to be by her side quickly if anything happened.

Rachel was too preoccupied to notice, so he warned her verbally "Rachel, I'm going to find some food. Don't worry, I won't be too far away. Scream if you need anything." An irresistible force made him kneel next to her and kiss her hair. She looked up at him and smiled awkwardly. Yesterday, he would have kissed her, but today he wasn't so sure he should; no matter how badly he wanted to.

Rachel wasn't sure if Finn wanted to kiss her or even be close to her after what he had witnessed the day before. She could understand his aversion after seeing what had happened. At least he acted as if he still cared about her, even if he was disgusted so she couldn't really complain.

She wasn't really afraid of him leaving, she trusted him to know he wouldn't leave too far, so she nodded. She had a new friend who was quite interesting. Maybe she could learn how to climb tree from him, which might be helpful.

Finn left and when she didn't see him anymore she stood up and started walking around. "So, what are we going to do now?" she gestured toward the monkey. He was still in her arms playing with her nose and making her giggle. She didn't know a monkey could be so funny and friendly.

"Oh I know! Let's make a fire." She could do that, now that she had learned how, she was happy to do so. She wandered around trying to find wood, being careful not get lost. That would be very bad luck. "I have to find you a name, Monkey. You can't just be Monkey forever. But if we give you a name, please don't leave!" She knew he wasn't tame and could leave at any moment. The animal looked at her as if he understood; she was glad to have him. Monkeys could be really smart.

.

"What about, Jean?" He gave her no reaction and she pouted. Jean was such an iconic name. "Well, you can't say no to Riverpaul!" Maybe he could. He just grabbed a sweet chestnut and started to eat it. "You're hard. How about Nemo?" he perked up at her and jumped into her arms. "Nemo? Are you serious? It's a fish! I don't even know why I suggested that one!" She wished he would ignore the use of the name, but again the monkey's eyes lit up at it. How was that possible? He must be really smart and young. Only young people would like this name."Well Nemo, you now are a little cute monkey with the name of a cute fish." She guessed it could have been worse, she was still the one making suggestions after all…

She gathered a small amount of wood and returned to the area where she had started to wait for Finn. She began to light a fire with Nemo watching her closely. It suddenly occurred to her that if she made a fire, it would make smoke, and if it made smoke, it could alert the people who were looking for them to where they were. That would sure make it easy for her and Finn to be found if they were looking for revenge. So much for running away and hiding; the smoke would just tell them _"Hey, come over here; I'll lead you to where they are so you can rape the girl and hit her friend. Succeeding this time of course." _She quickly decided that she would not build a fire and lay on the ground waiting for Finn.

She hoped that once they were home, the women would be able to make her some sort of outfit, she still had the towel wrapped around her like a t-shirt. The women of the tribe wore something that looked like a bra but she thought that it looked good on them and fit their culture perfectly and what if she had to let them saw her stomach? It was okay for them so she wouldn't be shy about it.

Rachel was a little bored and knew Finn would be back soon from hunting. She got an idea in her head and grabbed Nemo. He seemed really tame now and didn't mind that a human was carrying him around; it was as if they were made to be friend. She loved that her soul mate was a monkey. Better than nothing even if Finn was her soul mate.

She looked around for a place where she could hide and surprise Finn when he returned. It might have been childish of her to act this way, but nobody knew she was 25 and she wasn't afraid of Finn's reaction. Smiling, she hid behind the widest tree and whispered to Nemo: "Don't talk now, okay? You have to be really quiet."

She enjoyed the one sided conversation. It was nice to have someone you could tell everything and would not say anything in return. The only bad thing was that he couldn't give advice or help her to know what could happen.

Rachel waited behind the tree for a few minutes until she finally heard some noise. She slowly peeked around the tree so she could make sure that it was Finn and not anybody else. From her spot she saw Finn walking casually to where he had left her. She hid again and placed her hand on Nemo's mouth.

"Rachel?" he called trying not to freak-out right away. He dropped the rabbit he brought back and the apples to the ground and started looking for her. His fear was rising exponentially; what if she had been kidnapped? "Rachel, where are you?" His voice was rising and he felt his blood boiling in his veins. His panic was causing his vision to get blurry.

Rachel sensed his fear and knew she should come out before he got too mad and too scared to control himself. She came out from behind the tree and jumped on his back, straddling him from behind. She was laughing a little and he turned rapidly and pushed her off his back; not noticing that it was her. He turned toward her and his eyes got wide as he kneeled next to her. He took her hand and helped her to her feet. She noticed the look on his face and immediately wondered how she could have thought that was a good idea.

"Where the hell were you?" he asked angrily. "I thought they had found you and kidnapped you, Rachel!"

To say that Rachel was ashamed of herself was an understatement. "I'm sorry, Finn. I wasn't trying to scare you, I just wanted to surprise you. I didn't think before I acted." She apologized, hoping he would see how sorry she was. Finn's eyes were cold and she could tell he was not happy at all. He was acting so different from when he had left her an hour or so ago. What had he done to become this way with her? He was almost scary…

However, he didn't say anything; he only turned and busied himself making a fire for the rabbit.

"Finn…If you build a fire, won't they find us easily?" She had to find the nerves to ask even though he was clearly very angry. Maybe he was too angry at her to have thought about it.

He sighed deeply and threw the stones he had forcefully.

Rachel was still on her feet with Nemo. She watched him and waited for him to say or do something. She knew that trying to talk to him when he was in this state wasn't a good idea. He was quiet for long and Rachel understood or tried at least. He wouldn't talk to her, but he did give her apples to eat. She sat next to him and they ate in silence. Rachel felt highly uncomfortable and a few times she had opened her mouth to say something before closing it again, preventing herself to be in more trouble.

As Finn ate, he tried to ease the anger that was hiding his fear of losing her.

25 seconds could ruin a mood for a long long time.

xiii.

Rachel had been through every emotion in only two short days. It was unbelievable to feel so many different things. Her friends have always told her that she was a vindictive girl, but Finn seemed to be the one holding that title right now. He hadn't talked to her since she tried to surprise him. It seemed to be bothering him a lot; she understood that she had been wrong, but was this necessary? Hadn't she been punished enough? He was acting like a child. She had been tormenting herself over this for far too long and she had come to the conclusion that he just needed to take the stick out of his ass and let it go. She had apologized hundreds of times already but he didn't seem to care as he still wasn't talking to her. Two days was far too long and Rachel was practically fuming. She should have been happy that she could mope about this instead of other things. She was way stronger than that and she wasn't going to let Finn have all the power in this situation.

She was too proud to admit, but the more time she spent with him in silence, the more she missed him and his awkwardness with words. She missed what they had, this unnamed feeling of wanting to discover the other without crossing the boundaries of their culture and rules. For a while she thought that maybe he could learn as much from her as she was learning from him but he had once again put up a wall between them; she wanted more than anything to break it down again. She cared about him and his silence was killing her the more the time passed.

If she knew him, his pride and ego would always come first; it wasn't possible for him to admit he someday could be wrong. When she thought about it, a lot of men behaved this way; they do not agonize over what they might have done like girls do. They do it and then think about it. It wasn't just Finn and people living here in a tribe. She sighed deeply and shook her head; determined to start her day on the right foot.

She noticed Finn had let her sleep a little as the sun was already up. She spotted him near a tree sharpening his knife and with a determined step she walked with her head held high. She plopped herself on the ground in front of him so he had to look at her.

When he looked up, he didn't show any interest in what she had to say and it gave her the courage she needed to confront him. "Finn! How long do you plan on ignore me?" she asked strongly while keeping her voice steady.

"I didn't set up a time." He replied before going back to his task.

"Well, I'm setting it up for you; it's going to stop now." She put her hand on her waist glaring at him.

"No. What you did was wrong."

_Holy shit, this is deep. _"I know that. I apologized for it and I won't do it again You are acting like a baby right now!"

"I'm not a baby. I'm very mature unlike you it seemed."

It was so on. "Don't talk with me about maturity Finn! This is childish and you can't keep ignoring me. I have been waiting for you to realize that it's fine to forgive at some point. Plus, I know what I did was wrong and I told you so! You're not my father either so you don't have to punish me! I'm a grown up woman."

"Yes I can keep ignoring you and I will."

He was so determined and it was hurting her deep; she didn't understand him anymore. It couldn't possibly only because oh what she did. "Why? Is this only about what I did or this is about something you don't want to tell me."

"It's more."

She hadn't thought about other possibilities. If he wanted to continue to ignore her, then she deserved to know all his reasons. That didn't help much. "Tell me about it. Last week we were so close and after what happened you barely look at me or touch me. What did I do?" Her confidence had been shattered as well as her voice and she needed to understand. She tried to hide her pain but it was getting hard with every word he was saying. What the quote again? _When you allow someone to get close enough, you let them the power to crush you._ Crushing was good, since it was how she felt at the moment: crushed.

"You didn't do anything. I've been thinking about it and I've come to the conclusion of no matter what we did we have to stop."

Wow. Well, if he had been thinking about their relationship, if that's what this is, she at least deserved to know something. Trying to steady her heartbeat, and keep her tears at bay; she continued in her investigation. "Is it because of what they did it to me?" she whispered. He finally looked at her and she wished she could read his eyes right now.

"No it isn't at all Rachel. It wasn't your fault and again I'm sorry for what they did. It's just you and I, no matter what we are, we need to stop. It isn't right." He explained.

He stood and faced her with all his gloriousness. If it were a better moment she would have told him that he was beautiful. "You're right. Maybe it's not right. But what is really wrong is to hide what we are feeling when we are together. I know you feel it Finn; otherwise you would not act this way with me. You never would have look at me, or took care of me the way you did." Her words were true and full of feelings; she was so open to him in every way; she couldn't let him go away without trying to make him understand.

His gaze never left hers but he didn't answer. When he did finally turn away from her, she grabbed his arms and yanked him towards her. She raised on her tiptoes and whispered to him: "You can deny it all you want Finn. I know you must be disgusted by me because of what you saw and I understand that, but you can't say it's easy to act as if nothing happened between us." As if to prove her point, she kissed his cheek and she knew that they both felt the electric tension and the longing of the past two days.

His silence was killing her and was taking all her effort to keep from making herself miserable about it. They had become the strangers they were when they first met; no matter how much she tried she just couldn't forget what they had become. She had grown too close to him and the distance between them wasn't good enough anymore. What was hurting the most was his reaction to their behavior. If he was bothered by the lack of contact, he didn't show it. His beautiful face would not reveal if he was missing the contact. Rachel tried her best to not feel hurt by it; for her, every kiss from Finn had meant something.

Their main goal was to find a place so the tribe could move very soon in order to have a more abundant supply of fruits and other food. Though he wasn't speaking to her unless he needed to, he was still teaching her things, like how to climb a tree easily but he would pull away quickly when touched and act as if nothing had happened. Sometimes, she was just sad and hoped that he would come around or at least talk to her, but he didn't and she was getting self-conscious. She had never felt this way before and it was so new; she thought that maybe she wasn't pretty enough and that's why he wouldn't look at her. It had been two and a half weeks since she had left her life in New York to come here. When she thought about it she had lived more in those two weeks than she did in 25 years. Don't misunderstand her, she was happy with her life in New York; she was able to live her dreams when a lot of people where still struggling to find their path and what they dreamed to do. This experience was changing Rachel, you can't not be changed by coming here and being a part of something this special. You have to be close to people and there was no room for you to be selfish. She was lucky to experience this with Finn; he is the definition of brave and responsible.

Suddenly, Finn stopped and looked everywhere like an animal stalking his prey, she knew he had found the place; he has never acted this way. She studied him in his element and saw how proud he was of himself to have found such a perfect place.

"We found it. It will be perfect for a few months at least." He declared with a nod of his head.

Rachel scoffed and said "More like you found it." He didn't reply.

"We can go home now."

Home sweet home. It suddenly hit her that Finn's home was a few miles away and hers was thousands of miles away. She had always thought that, just like in movies, home wasn't a place, it was a person. She was still a fervent believer in this quote. Right now, she wished she could call Kurt and tell him every single detail of the past few beautiful and emotional weeks and gossip about people in NY just so she could feel like home again. Nostalgia was getting the best of her and she was in need of a friend or just some attention. At least, Nemo cared about her. He wouldn't leave Rachel more than a few seconds. He would find himself something to eat and return to her arms or walk next to her. He was a bundle of joy and she gladly took him on as if he was her new. At the moment, it was still earlier in the day so Rachel mentally prepared herself for another long walk.

"How long Finn?"

"We will be home before the sun goes down."

Did she mention that there was no time here? They lived by the position of the sun. It was a good habit to get used to. No time, no pressure. Just nature. "Get ready for the longest walk of your life little Nemo".

Indeed, it must have been the longest walk for Nemo since he quickly passed out in her arms, snoring like a baby. It made Rachel laugh and she was grateful to have him there.

After hours of walking without rest and almost no words exchanged, Rachel couldn't take it anymore. When she saw the row of tree ahead she knew that she had to say something before they were surrounded by a lot of people. She also had to say something before they were to act like strangers within the tribe. She knew that, even with all the practice she had over the last few days, she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut for too long and she was a little scared to see the man who had hit his wife again. She hoped he would put aside what he was thinking, and just live with the idea of her staying a little while longer, unless the master had decided while she was away that she needed to go home. That was a possibility she had considered and she understood. "Finn wait." She finally said.

Finn turned and she was shocked to see him walking towards her quickly a determined look on his face. The next thing she knew he pushed her against the nearest tree and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. It wasn't gentle and romantic, it was hard and needy. She loved that he had this in him; it reflected his primal instinct and she loved it. At first, her eyes were wide and she didn't know what was happening, but feeling him was welcomed. It was nothing compared to what she had remembered and the reality was way better that her dreams. Once she closed her eyes, she didn't waste a second before she wrapped her arms around his neck and passed her hand through his hair. She wanted to be close to him craving for him after days of being apart. She whimpered a little when she felt him put his hands on her as he pushed her farther against the hard wood of the tree behind her; their bodies were so close that she was aware of every part of his body on hers. She nipped at his lips, making him groan and she plunged her tongue into his mouth. She was desperate to have him to herself all over again and was happy to have forgotten the past few days and the reason for her sadness. Breaking apart for air, she kissed him lightly before letting just enough space between their mouths to ask him. "Why?"

"I was dying to"

She really needed to find a book untitled _How to understand Finn? _Maybe she would have to write one herself.

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**Reading reviews is maybe my favorite part of the day, I'm just getting excited every time I have a new one!**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone ! No, no I didn't forget you ! I've been busy a lot but I managed to write a little ! I didn't get a lot of feedback for the last chapter but it's fine Ii just hope I'll have more this time ! **

**BTW, I just can't wait for Lea's single anymore...**

**And firewithsara ? I love her.**

**Onto the chapter ! **

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xiv.

Rachel was more than happy to finally be in the tribe again. Nobody looked at her as a stranger anymore; it was quite the opposite actually and even the kids seemed to like her. Rachel would often be called away from her task just so she could sing to them or try to learn to dance like they were. Each of them had unbelievable rhythm and it was incredible how they moved, she might have been jealous if she had to compete with them. But their hearts were so pure she just couldn't put herself to be really jealous. Mostly, she loved the joy they possessed every single minute of the day. They were happy to play with whatever they had; they had the most beautiful laugh she had ever heard –after Finn's- and it was contagious most of the time. When she had returned, the children ran toward her and Nemo. At first they were surprised and they wondered if he was nice but she had immediately reassured them showing them he was a nice one. They asked her all sorts of questions and once she had put their fears at ease, they had decided to play with him. Nemo wasn't complaining and she wondered how he could be tamed so easily. Nemo loved the attention and acted just like she did when she was on stage. He loved it and she would have to find him a role later since she was sure he would be a good pet.

Speaking of stage, she missed it a little. The longest vacation she ever took was only a week, and it hardly counted as a vacation, since she was sick. Once she had recovered, she almost immediately ran to the theater, and she was ready to feel the stage again. She needed it almost as much as she needed air as cheesy as it sounded. She lived and breathed Broadway and her dream role was definitely playing Fanny. She was almost sure she was going to get the role once she got back. She had already left the director speechless at the audition, but you can never so sure in the Broadway world after all.

The more time that passed, the closer she was to going back home. She couldn't leave without having some sort of closure in her heart. For days she watched Finn, hoping he might give her some sort of indication of the way he felt. She couldn't confront him when they had barely a moment alone together. When they were together, he would kiss her quickly so no one would see. On rare occasions he would leave her with a longer kiss then he would leave her to take care of his responsibilities. It only left her wanting more. She was desperate to have at least an hour to speak with him about what was going on; too much longer and she was afraid she would go crazy mad on him. The poor boy wouldn't know what hit him and it wasn't going to be good. She still was a human who had feelings and having him acting this way wasn't making things comfortable between them no matter how much she wanted him. And god knows how much she wanted him.

Feelings lead and enslave you in a way no one can help you with. You depend on the person you feel something for and you can't understand what the specific feeling is until you experience it; even then, it can be sometimes difficult. People often offer advice and they are told how to handle their relationships, usually by telling them what they should and shouldn't do. They lecture you about love being the best thing you could ever have or give. But the whole thing is rather pointless when you are truly the only one who really knows what you feel. You know that there are actions and words which are never done or said because of the fear of being rejected or forgotten. Lots of people are this way, but not Rachel. She had to stand up for herself and the way she felt; no matter what the consequences were going to be. It was a gift, and she was going to use it; just not right now.

Finn and his tribe were different. Rachel didn't really know how to talk to him; she knew she had to, though.

Her goal at the moment was dealing with Finn and his mysterious way of thinking; or more like his entire mysterious self. This man had locked himself up, but Rachel was determined to unlock him.

When she felt herself being grabbed and taken away from where she was working, she wasn't afraid not at all since she was now used to it. She knew it was Finn wanting to get her alone. She followed him quietly, until she was able to jump on him and kiss him. Rachel did so as he continued walking; only stopping when they were hidden behind a tree away from the tribe. Finn grew more confident with each making out session and she felt him grabbed her ass. She, herself was feeling bold and she wrapped her legs around his middle. She loved the feeling of him being so close to her. He groaned at her action and kissed her harder. He didn't need to press her against the tree for balance as he was already really strong and handled Rachel's weight perfectly. She was very thankful for his strength; he was wonderful to look at and he could carry her easily. Did she mention that he was super hot? Rachel sighed and nipped at his lip. She tensed when she felt him move his hand towards her left breast. She stopped and noticed that his eyes had darkened with lust.

"Finn, we need to talk". Awesome way to ruin a mood, but it had to be done. After all she was a pro at this and if they were going to go any further she would lose the ability to talk for sure.

"I know" he answered, then tried to kiss her again. He knew they had to talk for both their sanities, but right now he was kind of busy and in another mood.

Rachel reluctantly climbed off of Finn's chest and pushed him lightly so he would look at her. "Finn, please listen to me then we can start again." Depending on how the conversation goes, of course. Anything could happen when dealing with two strong personalities.

"Fine." He shrugged, looking really disappointed. He knew this was coming, he just hoped the kissing would last a little longer before he had to confront her again.

"Thank You, I appreciate it." Being polite was important in every situation, Rachel was sure of it.

"You're welcome." It worked both ways, it seemed. His response made Rachel smile.

Finn waited for Rachel to start. She applauded herself for finally succeeding on getting him to have an adult conversation with without kissing during for at least two minutes.

"Finn, as always, I have a lot of things to say but I'd like for you to tell me what is happening between us. One second you tell me, we can't be together and the next I'm being pressed against a tree. You kiss me as if you have dreamed about it for days." She was confused, it wasn't new; but talking to him about it was better.

"I didn't see you complain."

Was he being serious? "Of course not. You know I like you, I told you so."

"What do you want me to say Rachel? I can't stay away from you, even when I try really hard."

Right there, she could have melted. The next time he said he didn't know what to say she was going to remind him of his wonderful words. "I don't blame you. I understand it but Finn it hurt me…I-I"

"I didn't know how to react Rachel. I want you, but I don't want to hurt you and I didn't want to rush you into anything because of what happened. I didn't want to scare you, so I thought it was for the best if I said what I said. And you're going to leave very soon and we don't know how we are going to live it once we won't be together all the time anymore. And huh, do you follow me…?"

His vulnerability was fitting and she was kind of happy to see she wasn't the only feeling weak at moment. She got closer to him and stroked his cheek, immediately feeling him lean against her hand. "You didn't want to kiss me or touch me because you were afraid that I was going to be scared by you?" She stated.

"Yes." He admitted.

In that moment, she realized something she knew was irrevocable and there was no turning back; she was in love with this man. Alright, she knew that already, but admitting it to herself was a big move for her. It was the first time she ever felt this way about a man, or a woman for that matter. She couldn't deny it any longer; she loved Finn, the man who made every single part of her soul go mad. She couldn't tell him that right now though; he would totally freak out. She would rather deal with the consequences of this big news later when the time was right.

"I thought you were disgusted by me." They were both admitting everything, she might as well tell the truth.

Finn was shocked and rolled his eyes. "Rachel, you are crazy. I have known that since the first time I saw you. It's okay with me, but if you really thought that then you're way crazier than I thought". He bent down to kiss her lightly with a laugh and smile on his lips. "I could never be disgusted by you. You're this beautiful girl who, for no reason, has made me weak in the knees and what happened couldn't pull me away from you."

With tears in her eyes she kissed him deeply while holding his cheeks preciously in her hands. She would cherish him forever if he let her do so. "Thank you, Finn."

She would tell him she loved him later when the time would be more adequate.

xv.

Rachel knew that with fame, there were problems. She knew that she was going to be photographed every time she stepped foot outside her villa, she knew that there would be rumors of her being a diva, she knew that they would speculate about potential boyfriends and breakups. This is how Rachel lived for years, now. She wouldn't complain about the routine she had in New York and she had to admit that being here has changed her. In a good way. There wasn't really a routine, the surroundings were never the same, and she was intrigued watching Nemo run around for hours. She enjoyed playing in the water with the children. It would start with splashing then somebody would run until they were caught and tickled until they were begging to be released. She was having fun here. She was at ease physically and emotionally, it's this feeling of peace you have and it feels good to be able to found yourself and make a point on what you accomplished in your life and at the same time appreciate all you've done to do it.

She found herself lost in thought often. Her time was never rushed and she loved it. At the moment, her life couldn't have been more perfect even if she tried. She thought when she had left New York that it couldn't get better, but since she had landed and spent time with Finn, she knew she had it all. Finn was what was missing.

Also, she experienced new things which couldn't be done anywhere else like the first time she had seen a deer so close, she had been amazed by its magnificence, even after it had been killed. It had many horns and she had been lucky enough to touch it. The hair of the animal was very soft and the body was firm. Rachel was a little sad to see that it had been killed, but she knew it was how these people –and her- were able to eat and receive all the required nutrients. After seeing many dead animals she was getting used to it. She found that deer tasted awesome, she wondered if she would go back to being vegan once she was back in New York. She knew that she probably would, but for now, she was happy to have tasted new meals.

Rachel walked towards where Finn was cooking the deer with a small smile on her lips. Finn recognized that smile and he nodded lightly so nobody else could see it. She went to hide in the woods, away from the village, where she could wait for him in the dark beautiful night of Amazonia.

She only had one month left for her to enjoying it here and then she would go back to the madness that was her life. She sighed as she leaned against a tree and waited for Finn to join her.

He passed next to her without noticing she was there. She followed behind him quietly until they were far enough away from the tribe and jumped on his back, wrapping her legs around his toned waist.

"Got you" she said before pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. Gosh, she loved him.

Finn tightened his hold and her legs so she wouldn't fall and bent his head so she had better access to his neck. "You did, indeed."

Rachel smiled and busied herself marking his neck, giving him his first hickey. She sucked and nipped at his skin as she felt his goosebumps. She loved the effect she had on him. She continued to bite him lightly, soothing the nips with her tongue. She had barely climbed off his back before he turned and attacked her with his lips. The next thing she knew she was pinned against the tree and moaning as Finn grabbed her legs and hoisted her up so that she could wrap around him again.

They were both aware of the heat they shared and they each heard the other release a moan. But all rational thought left when Finn pushed his tongue in Rachel's mouth and she tangled her hands in his hair. She was losing the battle for dominance but she didn't care, Finn was able to get her to feel amazing sensations from head to toe.

Feeling wild, she trailed one hand to his chest and whimpered when she traced his abs. She cut him off so she could breathe a moment, and he began kissing her neck as if he had done it his whole life. She loved being so small in this moment since his chest was right in front of her and she had easy access to kiss every inch of his gorgeous chest. She started on his left pec, then moved to the right before she released the hold her legs had on him and began to caress and kiss his abs.

Finn groaned and moved her face up so he could kiss her hungrily. She didn't hesitate to press herself against him allowing herself to feel his hardness on her stomach. She rubbed against him, never in her life had she felt this hot. She wanted him so much that she could burst. Finn put his hand on her ass and pulled her closer to him and she melted to him again and again.

"Rachel, what are we doing?" he asked between kisses which left them both almost breathless.

"I have no idea." Honestly she sort of had an idea, but she was too busy to think or talk since she was currently mesmerized by him and his kisses or his hands for that mattered. She trailed her hand over his erection, immediately feeling how hard he was for her and loving every minute of it. She massaged it for a while but she wanted more. She didn't get it though, since Finn stopped her movements.

"Rachel please, I won't be able to stop and I don't want to hurt you." He said while looking her in the eyes. He kissed her forehead softly and took a deep breath, trying to get a hold on his emotions. He caressed her back as he came down from this high.

"I know you wouldn't hurt me Finn, but I want you. Badly" He laughed and she couldn't believe she had just said that. But then again, it was Finn, and he was really cute with her all the time so she didn't feel ashamed of her words.

He moved his hands on either sides of her waist and moved her in their previous position; her legs wrapped around him and he resumed kissing her. This time, more gently, taking his time and enjoying her smooth skin. She felt one of his hands on her ass as the other began to slowly unbutton her shorts. His hand so close to her center surprised her and made her gasp; he stopped his movements, but did not move his hand.

"Do you want me to sto-"

She cut him off "No, Please continue." She said with confidence.

When he touched her panties, she gasped again. He watched her closely so that he could learn from her reactions, doing exactly what she did to him before. She moved herself against his hand and he took in a sharp breath as he felt his center throbbing with envy. He tried to focus on her and her moans as he pushed his way through her panties, immediately feeling how wet she was. His forehead wrinkled and Rachel held onto his shoulder tightly.

"Rachel, you're wet there is this normal?"

She didn't know if it was normal for her to find his question adorable. "Yes, it really is Finn."

He shrugged and continued to touch her, discovering and touching a woman for the first time. He really didn't know why he hadn't done it before, but then again Rachel made him experience new things all the time and each time he couldn't complain.

He was moving his hand at her center under her panties when Rachel grabbed the hand so she could show him what to do. His eyes went wide when she helped him push a finger inside herself. Finn groaned at the feeling before taking the lead, pumping in and out of her by instinct, noticing how she moaned even louder than before. He loved the sounds she was making. Increasing the speed he added another finger and circled his fingers a little where she seemed to like it even more. Before he knew it he was kissing her to keep her from screaming too loud, afraid they would be heard by people. He slowed down his motion and when she stopped trembling, she unwrapped her legs, still kissing him. He smiled into their kiss, proud that he had made her feel okay. Or amazing judging by her reaction.

"I guess it was good?" he asked.

She looked at him with adoration "Perfect. But I think it is my turn now." She said grabbing his cloth.

"What's your turn?"

Count on him to ask an awkward question right now. It wasn't really his fault though, he only knew the basics.

"You will see." She said mischievously. She allowed his cloth to fall and saw him in all his –big- glory. Rachel stared a moment, a little shocked to see how big he was, it shouldn't have surprise her, she has touched him before and he is really tall, but still…

He watched her in anticipation, unsure of what she would do next. She wrapped her hand around him and he almost fell to the ground from the intense feeling. She pumped him a few times and he closed his eyes enjoying it even more and trying to hold on to the feeling as long as he could.

"Rachiiiiiie." A scream broke into the night.

_Kill me now _Rachel thought. She reluctantly stopped her actions and stepped away from Finn. A disappointed Rachel began adjusting her clothing as a flustered Finn was doing up his cloth.

"Rachie, where are you?" A kids voice called again.

She tried not to move so that she wouldn't be seen, but of course it didn't happen. The little man came running toward her and jumped in her arms. She looked at Finn apologetically and he shrugged with a grin on his face. She loved him too much already.

"You just ruined our mood sweetheart." she said to the little boy who didn't understand what she had meant. She walked away from Finn, not that she wanted to.

"But, Ma said that we have to go eat to go to bed and I want to eat with you."

What do you say to that? She would have her way with Finn later.

xvi.

"Finn, come over here."

"No."

"FINN!"

"No."

She gasped tired of his attitude. "Why?"

"Because."

She hated that she loved him at the moment and she hated the determined look he had with his arms crossed against his chest even more. He was showing her he wouldn't let her order him around. She got up and tried to move his arms from in front of him. He loved watching her try. She threw her hands in the air dramatically and gave up, turning away from him. "No I won't let you win this time." She turned back to him again and tickled his stomach. His only move was to attack her by tickling, causing her to kneel on the ground, hoping to get away from his hands.

"What are you doing now?" he asked tickling her more than ever while he laughed.

"Nothing, please, aaaah." She succeeded in moving away somehow and she stood and dared him to touch her with only a look in her eyes. "I hate you." She told him seriously.

He walked toward her smiling. "No you love me."

He just didn't know how much truth was in his words. "I don't." She responded.

He shrugged and took her in his arms, kissing her lightly. He could tell she wanted to talk about something, so he held her and waited for her to speak.

She took a deep breath. "We can't have sex."

He laughed, that wasn't what he was expecting at all but Rachel had this thing of surprising him at the most unexpected moment.

"It's not funny. I have to talk about this." She was serious as hell. She had never wanted a man as much as she wanted Finn; she almost felt like a pervert and the sex embargo wasn't helping at all, she almost felt frustrated.

"Why?"

"Have you ever heard about AIDS?" He nodded and she continued "I don't want to get sick and you don't want to either. That's why we can't, and you have to know how much that saddens me." She sighed dramatically to prove her point. What was with her?

He took her in his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to pout like a child.

He smiled and kissed her pout away "Don't do that or not even AIDS will stop me."

How cute was he?

"I wish"

"It's fine, I don't care if I can't have you that way. I love having you here with me in my arms." He admitted.

"How are you real?" she asked while gazing lovingly at him and tightening her grip on his neck. She meant every word. This man was way too good to be true and hers.

"I wonder the same about you too."

"I think I love you." Word vomit. She didn't just say that. _Please heaven come take me now._ Suddenly, the trees seemed more interesting than Finn, that's weird.

"I think I love you too."

She could have done the dance of joy like a child right now, if it weren't for his lips.

_It seemed she was already in heaven._

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**_WOOOOOW aren't they so cute ... Finchel !_**

**_So what did you guys think ? _**


	6. Chapter 6

**You ! Yes you ! I knew you were gonna love all the fluffy chapter of the latest chapter ! But seriously all the reviews made my day and I'm really happy that you liked it as much as I did if not more! Just before Christmas here another chapter for you !**

**All mistake are mine and thank you to the perfect and nice Beta that I have Sara. **

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xvii.

Finally alone together, Finn sat against a tree and Rachel leaned against his chest. Neither of them had the courage to speak a word, they just wanted to enjoy the moment while they could. They had been at peace with an ease that had them both savoring the feeling of being along together. For once, and after all the twists and turns they had been through –mostly her- it was well welcomed. She wondered if she would feel the butterflies she felt when she was near Finn one day with another man. She highly doubted it. She had had her fair share of date and boyfriend, and never had she felt this intense feeling she got every time she was seeing him. It was true, life was a bitch most of the time, it was hard to achieve your dreams but love was free and light and beautiful if you had the luck to live it and she had to admit that it was worth every battle in life.

"Finn, I don't ever want to leave this place." Rachel whined, breaking the silence.

"I don't think this place wants you to leave either."

"This place or you?" She turned her head to look at him and smiled gently, she knew his answer.

"Both"

His eyes were so shiny and gorgeous and she could lose herself in them for hours, something she did whenever she had the chance. "It's so sad yet perfect; do you know what I mean?" She asked, wishing he would understand what she was trying to convey within her words.

"Yes. it's perfect because I met you, and sad because you have to leave so soon. It's hard to believe that you're leaving in seven days; I'm used to having you around. How crazy does that sound?" he pushed against her back and noticed that she was giggling, seemingly happy at his last words.

She beamed at him and rose to kiss him lightly. She had her hands over his while he absentmindedly caressed her bare belly. "It's sounds awesome. I warned you a while ago that no matter how much you tried you couldn't get rid of me easily and once again I was right. Just saying you know..."

She loved being right, that's for sure. She was a smart woman. It was something, along with her ambition, that served her well during her life. "I just wished there would be a way Finn." She turned to face him, straddling his lap with her hands around his neck. "I never felt this way about anyone, and now that I have you I don't know if I'll be able to let you go. I don't know if I can go back to my life as if I never knew you. And I don't if I want to get over you once I'll be back in New York." She was desperate but she knew deep inside that there was nothing that could be done in their situation. They smiled sadly at each other feeling the same things, an ache in their hearts. "I'll carry you in my heart, if that matters." She added.

How do you deal with that? It had nothing to do with a long distance relationships, which for the record, she found would be easier at the moment since the only problem was distance, something that could be solved with an airplane ride. "This is unfair. AHHH" she screamed. She had to admit that she was acting like a baby whose parents wouldn't let her have her favorite toy, but Finn was far from that, he was her lover and it was unfair.

"I totally agree with you on that." Finn declared. He wouldn't let her see his emotions often, but the more the time passed the more he worried about the what would happen when Rachel left. He felt drawn to her and just couldn't imagine his life without her anymore, no matter how weird it was that they had only known each other a short amount of time.

"You have to agree with me on everything, if you really love me." Talk about corruption. She had to at least try to teach him little things about her kind of love.

"Rachel, I don't think it works that way in a relationship. Even I understand that and I don't know a lot about the subject. You know I usually act on instinct." Finn tempted, amused by her words.

"It does with us because I decided so!" she smiled, coyly trying her best to make him give in. She tried to pout knowing he could never resist her when she was doing so. He seemed thoughtful for a moment avoiding her lips, but she knew it was an act when he started tickling her sides, causing her to squirm in his arms. "Finn, please stop." He didn't and she laughed harder trying and failing to get away.

"No, I decided I wanted to tickle you Ms. Bossy." He enjoyed doing that, but Rachel couldn't say the same.

"Finn, please I was joking, you don't have to agree with me." He stopped immediately and she took a deep breath, eying him mischievously. "Not all the time, but you know most of it at least." She joked. She had to have the last word.

Seeing him laughing this way, with such love in his eyes, she couldn't help but stop laughing. She jumped on him, rolling them over so she was on top. Looking at him in the eyes she said: "I love you Finn." Damn, the words were so easy and natural to say now. Since the first time, there hadn't been a day where they hadn't said the treasured words.

"I should tackle you more often Rachel Berry. And I love you too of course." Like it was obvious, but maybe it was.

"No, no more tackling I do not like it." In reality, she loved being tackled by him, but she would never admit to it.

"What about kissing?" he asked sweetly.

"Anywhere, anytime." As if to make her point, she kissed him; quickly losing herself in the feeling of his lips on hers. His hands were on her back and his scent surrounded her. Rachel's love for him was rising every single second of everyday to a point where she wondered if it would stop before her heart burst because it was too full of love.

Finn felt a tear on his cheek and opened his eyes. "Rachel?" he shot her a questioning look, a little taken aback by her.

"It's nothing Finn, I just love you so very much and I hope you will never forget that."

He grinned at her and moved her hair out of her face to see her beautiful face. "I won't as long as you won't either."

"I promise you."

They held each other until they had to go back to the tribe so they could take care of the food and make new clothes.

When they had returned to the tribe, Rachel learned that they would be moving the tribe tomorrow. They would be going to the place that Finn had found when he was with her. The kids were really excited to explore the forest at the new place and the adults liked to think of the new species of animals and food they would find, which provided so much joy around the place. It was a lot like she was at Christmas time. People were excited and happy to see what they were going to find, much like Rachel would be looking forward to gifts and eating tasty homemade meal. It was incredible and Rachel really felt like a part of them, it made her feel really nostalgic.

Leaving the place she had spent a month and a half tomorrow was going to be hard but leaving to go home in a week was going to be even harder. It wouldn't feel like nostalgia; it would be more like heartbreak, the kind you feel passing through every part of you.

Sighing, she looked toward Finn and smiled. He was ordering the men around, having them taking down tents so they could be packed. He was such a wonderful and caring man and they had both grown from their time together. First of all, they had both learn to love and second of all they had both known the feeling to be loved back. How was she going to ever fall in love again after him? How could anyone? He had ruined her for other men and he didn't even know it. She would always be comparing men to Finn; and she knew already that he would always be the best. Seven days; she had to hold on to that and enjoy as much as she can. She had to.

"You know you can take him with you."

She was taken out of her thoughts by Paulo, who had come to her from nowhere. He was all smile and his humility fit him so well. Rachel was sure he would become an important man in this tribe when he became an adult. "Take who?" she asked, wishing that he wasn't talking about Finn.

"Finn of course." Well, wishing never hurt anybody.

They had been really careful so that no one would know what was happening between them. They had hid all the time, and she had never seen anyone. When she is with Finn, she forgets about the whole world so it shouldn't surprise her that Paulo managed to spy on them. She knew she would have to play dumb to try to protect their relationship as long as possible. "Why would I take him anywhere?" Rachel asked while she studied his reaction. He just smiled knowingly.

"Because you love each other." _Breathe, Breathe._ "Don't pretend you don't. Everybody here knows about you too, we just don't talk about it. We're not that dumb you know." He said nicely.

Her eyes went wide as she stopped her motions so she could really focus on what he was saying. "Everybody as in everybody?" He nodded. "How the hell did you know?"

"It's in your eyes and in his." He answered casually. Hmm, she knew she loved him very much but she was an actress and she tried hard to keep her feelings from being noticed and making them suspect. "You can't hide it no matter how much you want to. It's fine. It doesn't bother any of us or you would have known by now." It seemed like "long" wasn't so long anymore if everybody knew it.

The little man was reassuring her and it was really nice of him but what was there left to say to him now? "Thank You Paulo, it means a lot to me. Really, I wish things were different and in another life we would have been able to be together forever. But in this life, we can't, and I would never ask Finn to follow me, it would be too selfish of me to do so." It was true. In love, no matter how much you love someone, sometimes you have to leave them. No matter what her feelings were on the matter, she would always put his happiness first; asking him to leave his home, is not fair to him and his happiness.

"I know Rachel, but maybe it's not your choice to make." One day she would ask how old Paulo was. He was so mature.

Finn deserved everything he wanted; more than anything, he deserved happiness in a world that was his. It was where he belonged. Looking in his direction, she knew she was right. A small smile appeared on her lips, she knew he had what he always wanted; he belonged here. She knew she couldn't live with herself if, by some miracle, Finn agreed to come back to New York with her.

Suddenly, she heard Paulo screaming for all to hear. "She admitted it, they are really together."

Applause could be heard all around her, along with the occasional "hallelujah." All she could see were smiles directed toward her and Finn. It brought tears to her eyes to see such love around her. Finn looked really surprised for a moment, she could tell, then one of his men hit him on the shoulder, breaking him from his thoughts. His eyes immediately fell on Rachel's and a shy smile spread across his lips. They all knew.

Head high, Finn approached her and took her hand. "I guess we weren't so subtle." He stated smiling.

"Not so much." She laughed. The next second, his lips were on hers and she heard the all the oohs and ahhs from the crowd. The sounds quickly faded as she kissed Finn without restraint or fear of being seen.

He wiped the tears on her cheek and she cried silently a little more; she felt really cherished, like a damn lucky bitch that had it all.

"I love you."

"And I love you."

They both heard Ma say "It was about time."

It really was and now she could kiss her man every time she wanted, no matter who was watching. They were all so perfect and she loved being a part of the tribe, she wanted to cry again, she couldn't believe what was ha**p**pening. She was just so overwhelmed by all this happiness. One day she wanted to try and make unhappy people feel this way, as it was really awesome and everyone should have this feeling at least once in their life.

xviii.

For two weeks now, Rachel's first though every morning was how many days she had left with the tribe. She was counting the days that she still had with them; it was unbelievable how fast the time was passing and how much she prayed for the time to pass more slowly.

"What are you thinking about?" So much for not talking.

"That we have only 6 more days to spend together." She felt him press a kiss on her neck. She didn't want to mope about the inevitability of her leaving yet again but she couldn't help herself and she was always sharing everything with him. She moved to where she was facing him and said "Anyway, today is a big day so let's get up." Determined, she got up and she could feel Finn's eyes on her the whole time; sometimes she wondered how she had landed such a beautiful man.

He followed her out of the tent quietly and they worked on getting ready to move, they were the last one outside. "Let us work Rachel; you can go with the kids, we don't need you over here." Finn ordered gently. He tried really hard to tell her what to do nicely, without coming across as a dictator but his nature was often getting the best of him.

Rachel knew he wasn't being mean; it was just his way of organizing things and people. She didn't really mind. "Thank you."

He kissed her and left to tend to his task. Rachel headed toward the children, making her way through them. It occurs to her that she wanted to play a game with them, maybe one from her childhood. She had an idea. "Guys, who wants to play a game with me?" The enthusiasm was heartwarming as they all jumped and raised their hands. They ran to her with excitement shining in their eyes, they really wanted to plan the game. "Who knows how to play tag?" Rachel asked to the group of children. They all shook their head and Rachel began to explain the game. "_Tag_ is a game that involves one of you chasing the others, that person is _it _and tries to touch someone with their hands. That person, who is touched, then becomes _it_. First, we have to decide who is _it_ first. That person will chase the rest of you, and if he touches you then you are it. Run as fast as you can so you won't be touched. Any question?"

One of the children raised his hand like she had taught them to do a while ago. "Can I be the one chasing after the other first please?"

Rachel smiled and nodded. They all seemed pretty excited and she had to admit she was too. Even Paulo and his sisters joined the game, which meant that almost everyone, except the adults, was playing. It was pretty awesome for Rachel, who had grown up as an only child. She didn't get the joy of sharing the playground with so many kids, like she was right now.

"One, Two, Three. Go" They didn't wait for her. The children all took off in different directions, screaming when the tagger got too close to them. Some of them would hide, while others would tease by coming close then running away. Soon the game of tag morphed into a type of hide-n-seek. They were all using their ability to climb trees to escape and so the tagger often had to climb to find them. Rachel almost screamed when she saw one of them fall from a low tree, but the kid got up and ran as if nothing had happened. She had stayed petrified for a moment until she had been touched. She happily ran after the little one, almost unable to keep up with how fast they all where. They were all laughing at how hard she was breathing from all the intense running she was doing; they were barely breathing hard themselves. _Damn them_, she thought. So much for not smoking and working out once a week in New York.

She stood in one spot, breathing hard, acting like she couldn't move anymore, when one of the girls came closer to her. The girl was checking on Rachel when she suddenly rose and touched her, before quickly running away, all the while being very proud of herself.

"Cheater!" The girl accused with a smile.

She was, but she had to use the skills she had to her advantage. The adults had watched them play, smiling from ear to ear. She even noticed Finn trying to remain serious but failing at seeing Rachel so carefree and at ease. She ran over to him, pecked his lips, and run away never looking behind because she could.

The game lasted an hour or more before they all had given up. They all sprawled out on the ground laughing hysterically and breathing hard. They had great timing it seemed, as Finn yelled.

"LET'S GO EVERYONE. DON'T LET ANYTHING BEHIND YOU PLEASE"

The kids clapped their hands and went to join their families, who were starting the journey to the new place. Rachel watched quietly from the back of the group. The adults started to sing one of their songs and Rachel wished that she had a camera or something to capture this amazing and unforgettable moment. But she knew it would always be cherished in her mind, even without a camera.

She couldn't wait to tell Kurt about all the amazing things she had seen. She might wait for a little while though, such special memories shouldn't be treated as gossip.

She continued walking at the back of the group and was happy to feel Finn's hand taking hers. She lifted her head to see him smiling as well. "Are you happy to move?" she asked him with interest.

"Yes, I always am. It means new landscapes, new clothes, and more food and so on. Like a new start."

She nodded in understanding. "I know what that feels like." For some reason, her mind moved onto a new topic, meaning it took her mouth with it. "Finn, do you know how to read?" She hadn't thought of asking until now, it would be really helpful if he did.

"I do. The oldest members here have taught me how to read, but we never learned how to write. You can see we don't have anything to write with, or on." He explained

She would have to find a sheet of paper. "That is awesome." Another question popped into her head and she had to ask. "You seem like a leader here, yet you told me that you aren't the master. Now that you trust me, can you tell me who he is so I can thank him for allowing me to live here."

And just like that, he tensed and put up a wall, just like he had done before. What was going with him and the master?

"I can't, but maybe one day you'll know Rachel." He said in a sultry voice.

She cut him off quickly. "Say my name that way again and I don't care if people are watching, I will do inappropriate things to you and won't be ashamed of doing so." She teased and he relaxed and smiled.

"I trust you, you have to know that, but I'm sorry I can't still tell you anything about him."

"It's fine really. I'm just curious about why you carry so much responsibility here. Then again, I spend at least half of time watching you and only you, so it shouldn't shock me too much that I didn't noticed anyone else." It was true. She kissed his shoulder, trying to not ask other questions. "I love you." She would never get tired of saying it, she was meant for him, she was sure.

"And I think you're mine." He said.

She stopped in her tracks at his words. He stopped and looked at her in wonder. "What am I?"

He turned his head, not realizing that she had stopped because of his words. "You're mine. It's when someone finds his other half in life. Like people here who are a couple. They are each other's half and it's forever, just like you do in America when you get married and stuff."

His words had moved her to tears. He couldn't say things like that to her and hope that she will try to move on after and act like if he didn't say the most beautiful words in the world. Finn let the tribe walk ahead further before he took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "It's fine, Rachel. We're going to make it."

He didn't understand the heartbreak she knew was coming. She already felt it, but for some reason, she wanted to be strong until the last day, for him and for her. "I really don't know how Finn. You don't realize how much I love you. I know it's crazy, we have only known each other a short amount of time. It is worse that you're so calm about it…" He never seemed angry. All she wanted to do was scream at the universe for giving her love on this side of the world, when not much could be done about it. The only thing they could do was enjoy the moments they had left; and it was so unfair.

"I know and I'm sorry. You don't see how much it hurts me too. We'll find a way, I know it. I can always visit you and stuff."

"No, don't say shit like that to me Finn. It will give me too much hope and I can't have hope of you coming back to me when there isn't any chance it will happen. I would never do that to you, no matter how much I care about you."

He kissed her deeply and she rose on her tip toes, allowing his to kiss her better and make her tears go away.

"Trust me." It was all he said before wrapping his arms around her shoulder and beginning to walk again.

She wanted to trust what he was saying, but she knew there was very little that could be done. She would have to live with it, no matter how much it hurt her heart.

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**Another cute chapter for you, because I know you wanted it.  
**

**The next chapter isn't written yet but I'm gonna use the vacation to do so. So review maybe ? :)**

**So for now, Merry Christmas to everyone, enjoy it as much as you can !**

**With Love (DreamMeCory on Twitter).**


	7. Chapter 7

**Bonjour everyone ! :) Missed me ? Because I did mis you ! And after the madness of December I'm back on FF with a new chapter !**

**So only two chapter to go before it's the end and I have the last chapter in my mind, I swear it's crazy, I'm sure you will love it !**

**This chapter isn't a happy one but it was needed so I count on you and all the nice words you always say :)**

**Also, a big thank you to my amazing beta who does her best and always respond to me in three minutes no matter what.**

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xix.

Bittersweet.

The end of this two month fairytale had Rachel experiencing emotions that she thought were only possible in movies or books. Not in her life. She and Finn were both feeling lucky to experience these strong feelings towards each other, feelings that not everyone will get to experience not because they didn't know what it was but because they hadn't find the right person for them. Their other half. It was better than winning an Oscar or any good hunting trip, it was unique and special and real which made it even more amazing. It's when you stop looking for something that you are likely to find it. Neither had been searching for love, but together they had found it.

Sadly, good things usually end, and this was no exception, no matter how much they craved a happy ending and wished the days were longer.

Rachel only had a few hours left with the tribe before she had to leave; the mood wasn't necessarily a happy one. Everyone wanted a moment with Rachel, whether it was to hear her sing or just have a hug or kiss. It seemed nobody wanted her to leave and they were unknowingly making it harder for Rachel to say goodbye. She was on the verge of tears every time anybody would approach her to say thank you or wish her well in life. She had started to care so much for them and when everything was good it was the time to leave it behind.

How you can want to cry because you're happy and sad at the same time? She wondered for a moment if she was going crazy.

The tribe had settled in their new location a few days ago and everyone had resumed their normal duties so Finn was out hunting. He was set to come back from hunting any minute and she couldn't wait to have him to herself before he had to lead her back to Albatan. She was so upset with planes and the world in general right now; she would really like to throw a tantrum to the trees if she had to, just because she wanted to blame someone or something for all of this. She wouldn't, of course.

Because she was a responsible woman with an education and stuff. Fuck it.

She enjoyed the last few minutes with her new friends, the people that she had learned to care so much about, singing them a few songs and reminding them to be careful once she was gone. She couldn't help how her motherly side came out when she was with the children; they were like her kids now. Thanks to them, she knew that her own kids would be a big part of her life in the future, something she had never thought about until now. Maybe she would have one or two. Living with several children for two months has taught her that they were a true gift and they could bring a lot of joy and love into a home.

"Auntie Rachel, what are you going to do when you go back to the cars?" a little boy asked, he had always been too shy to talk to her, but today seemed different.

"What are the cars, baby?" she wondered why he was asking such a weird question, one she didn't quite understand.

"Where you live. Mommy told that there were a lot of cars, they help you walk fast." OH that.

"It's called the city, sweetie. The cars are indeed helping us to move quickly. And I'm going to miss you a lot, but I'll probably do a lot of the same things I did before I came here." The first part of her sentence was a bit of an understatement, she knew that missing them was going to be part of her new routine. She wasn't the kind of girl to mope around, but she might need to make an exception in this case.

She had been surrounded by the people of the village since she woke up in Finn's arms this morning, and they hadn't left her side all day which she was grateful for.

"Okay, but you don't have to be so sad. It's happy here and it has to be happy where you are too because your family is there."

Life was also simple when you were a kid. Rachel caressed his cheek and kissed his forehead lightly before taking his face in her hand. "You're right, and I'll talk about you and your people to my friends and family. I'll tell them how great and amazing you all are. I will never forget you." She knew she never would, she had even thought of doing a tattoo representing her life here and the people she met.

"We will never forget you either. We love you and we will tell to everyone that we met you! You're so great!"

How cute are they? She was happy to have left a bit of her presence here with them. She stayed with them, laughing and waiting to see her man's face appear at any moment.

For once, luck seemed to be on her side. She saw a broad chest coming into her view; she would recognize that chest anywhere. Lucky for her, she had permission to stare at it or touch it whenever she wanted to, which didn't seem to bother the owner of the chest at all. Of course, she would never say that she was able to recognize Finn from his handsome and hard chest alone, if anyone asked, she would tell them that it was his beautiful deep brown eyes. Yes, a woman has to have her secrets.

Rachel rose to her feet, forgetting the conversation that would surely continue without her; she wanted to join Finn, who was walking toward her. Once they both came face to face she hugged him tightly and kissed him on the lips. Just like in the movies she thought of earlier. "Hi."

"Hi." Love makes you dumb.

"How was hunting?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. He traced her hips lightly, enjoying the fact she was bare here and not caring about the looks they earned at their interaction.

"Good, it's really nice since there are a lot of animals for us to eat here, it will last us a while. Plus, the fruit is plentiful, which means lots of vitamins for us and the kids." He explained. She loved that he opened up to her and talked about his life, no matter what he was doing. They had come from a long way of when he would barely acknowledge her.

"That's great. I still wish you would let me send you package of food or water, Finn. I swear it would make me happy if you would just let me." She tried one more time. Finn rolled his eyes again and she couldn't help but smile at his expression, she knew he did this anytime he thought she was talking crazy. She tried to get him to agree with her, she had money she could put to good use and she would be happy to do so after everything they had done for her.

"I already told you that we want nothing from you. I know you are trying to help and it's nice, but we have never needed anything from your world and we're doing great this way, Rachel."

"I know but still, I have to find a way to thank you for everything you've done for me. I don't know what I could do besides that, you know…" After what she learned and how they had welcomed her, the least she could do was pay them back some way. Finn had denied her every time and she had given up on talking to the master, especially since she still didn't even know who he is.

"You were here for two months, you brought happiness to everyone here and you showed me what love was. You have already repaid us. We're even now." He squeezed her a little, as if to prove his point, and kissed her again, just because he could.

"Well, I feel like I had an advantage, since I'm in love with the head chief of hunting here. Do I?" she asked, arching her eyebrow and looking at him warily, causing him to laugh.

"Yes, you do. I told you that no one ever stays too long here because of the things we don't have. We only need what nature gives us but you and your people don't even know you're breathing and living thanks to it." She believed him.

"Yes in my world it is different. You know your is too, it's like I'm dating an alien sometimes, I swear."

Finn laughter was quite contagious. They both were laughing as Finn took Rachel's hand and lead her in a more private place, still not believing what he just heard.

"You're really funny when you want to be." Finn was trying not to laugh again but failed when he saw her face.

"I'm always funny, Finn. You're just noticing now." She replied back.

"Oh yes, how did I miss that? I won't be able to sleep now."

She rolled her eyes playfully. She decided to not to continue the conversation so that she could concentrate on finding a place where no one would bother them. She had an idea in her head and she wanted nothing more than to show him what it was since it implied being two.

Hand in hand, they walked to the river -it was closer since they had moved- and sat behind a tree that was full of leaves. Hopefully the tree would give them enough cover that no one would be able to see them, as long as they weren't making too much noise.

Rachel moved to straddle Finn's lap once he had sat down. Now that she was at eye level with him, she was able to stare into his eyes before kissing him deeply not wanting to waste another minute. He responded to her passion immediately and pulled her closer so that their chests were pressed against each other. Kissing was as far as they would go so Finn didn't take the hint Rachel was giving him by rolling once or twice her hips against his.

Rachel's lips became more insistent against Finn's and he felt a surge through him. He rolled them so that they were on their sides. He knew very well that Rachel could feel his hardness against her stomach but she didn't seem to mind so he chose to do the same.

Rachel had become desperate to feel connected to Finn and as she moved her hands around to drag her nails downs his back, she made a decision. She started to kiss along his jaw then his cheek before going to his neck and sucking lightly, leaving a mark he could remember her by once she had left and taking the lead of their heated make-out session. Her love for him had become so strong that she needed to show him and she needed him to do the same no matter how stupid this could seem from an outside eye. When he growled, she was suddenly empowered to roll them so that she could straddle his strong body once again.

Finn sat up with her on his lap, feeling the heat of her center against him. What he hadn't expected was for Rachel to untie her homemade bra, revealing the perfection of her uncovered breasts to him. While his eyes were focused on her chest, Rachel took his hands and posed them on her breasts to show him what she would like him to do. Her touch caused him to snap back to reality and he looked into her eyes. Now, he seemed to understand where she was leading him and he wondered for a brief second if he was thinking right or if it was only his mind and other parts of him who assumed it. Reluctantly, he spoke "Rachel, you know we can't take any risks.."

"I know Finn, but I can't leave having regrets. I want to. I'm clean and if you have never done anything with anybody else then you should be too. I want this; I want you. I watch my menstrual cycle very carefully Finn; I know the risks and I'm willing to take them. I am willing to take them because it's you. Please let us have this one time. For us…" She was nearly begging. She couldn't go home with the regret of not making love to Finn and sharing this together. Everything felt too powerful right now, she needed him in a way she had never needed anyone and her body was literally burning. She knew what she was doing; this one perfect moment with him would be worth any risks involved.

Finn seemed to be thinking about the implication of her words, but as soon as Rachel moved her hips against him all his resolve left him. A wave of pleasure shot through him. They only had this moment, only one time. This moment was theirs. He wanted this as much a she did and he would never pressure her for doing it but, she was the one making the move so it was different. It was her choice, and she wanted it. So did he. Badly.

His decision made, Finn resumed touching Rachel breasts while listening to her moans of pleasure to know where she wanted him. He wanted to show her how much he actually cared; to show what he couldn't with words. His lips moved to replace his hands and he circled the left one with his tongue tasting her sweet scent which described her. Rachel was still moving her hips to seek friction all the while loving his mouth on her smooth skin and the sensations he procured her. He was now painfully hard and knew he wouldn't last long; it was his first time being this intimate with someone and it didn't take a genius to know when it could burst.

Rachel moved a little and kissed him soundly, conveying her love in every kiss and every touch. She felt a sweet relief when Finn gripped her shorts and helped her out of them, leaving her in only her panties. She helped him remove his cloth and her eyes went wide when she saw how big and hard he was. She knew that, like everything else between them, they would fit together but still. He was really big. Erasing her thought, she continued without thinking of his size and took him in her grasp and began stroking him but he rapidly moved her hand away.

"I won't last, Rachel." He warned.

She nodded in understanding. "I love you more than anything Finn." A single tear fell down her cheek as she rose onto her knees and moved so that he could enter her. Finally. They both moaned at the sensation. Finn hold still for a moment to get use to the feeling and let Rachel adjust before he started doing what came naturally. Moving inside her.

"I-I love you too so much." He said.

They were both determined to show each other how much this meant to them, how much they loved each other. So they did. Through their kisses, their hands and their words while making him they made the world a better place, forgetting everything but them and their eternal love.

She rolled her hips on him while he trailed kisses all over on her skin; touching and feeling her like he never had. They wished this moment would never end. He felt like he was home in her arms. He felt his release coming too soon and placed his hands on her hips as she circled them one last time, his love for her multiplying even more when she joined him in release, crying out at the intense pleasure. He could see her sweat on her forehead and now he noticed how much he had messed up her hair; yet she was more beautiful than he had ever seen her. Plus, the moment was magical. Sharing this with her was everything he would have never found in anyone else. She was the one made for him, emotionaly and physicaly. He could stay inside her forever and never complain.

Right now, as he cradled her in his arms while they came down from their high, his heart was telling him one thing: he would never find love like he had with Rachel even if she was her first. It frightened him a little to realize this, he didn't know why, since Rachel had come into his life, so much had changed. He kissed her on her shoulder as she hugged him tighter and buried her nose in the crook of his neck. Holding onto each other during this peaceful moment.

xx.

The goodbye to the tribe was more heartbreaking than Rachel could have imagined, not just for her, but for other members of the tribe as well. She hugged everyone, not leaving out even one person. The men even hugged her, even though they weren't as demonstrative as she was. They were all smiling at her, and she would do the same for them. It wasn't the end of her life even if it truly felt like it.

The tears were falling down her face as she took Finn's hand and walked out of the village feeling like her heart may never fully recover. Finn squeezed her hand for support and she looked back on last time. Everyone was waving goodbye and she blew them a final kiss before once again looking straight ahead. She rested her head on Finn and began sobbing as they walked to meet Albatan.

Finn understood that she needed some time so he didn't speak much as they walked the three hours to the plane. Since they had relocated the village, they found themselves closer to where she was to meet her plane. She couldn't imagine the impact being here would have on her when she first arrived; she didn't think at the time that there would be a part of her that didn't want to go.

Could she reverse time? Of course not.

When they both saw the plane, they turned to each other and smiled sadly "So, this is the end." Finn dared to say.

"I guess it is." She replied before he took her in his arms and hugged her while he placed kisses in her hair.

"Rachel, please we have to go soon."

Rachel jumped from Finn's grasp to see that Albatan was next to them. Couldn't she have a proper goodbye with her man? "I'm coming Albatan thank you." He left them alone and if she was honest, she was happy to see him walk away.

Finn lifted her chin and kissed her. It was a kiss that felt like goodbye, and right now, that's what this was. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she kissed him again, pouring everything she felt into it, until they had to break apart for air.

"Think of me." Finn said, his voice broken. It seemed that he was trying to keep his own tears at bay.

"Everyday. Thank you for everything. I love you."

"I love you. Thank you." He said. "I won't come over there you have to go alone, but I'm gonna go wait for your plane to fly before I go back."

She nodded in understanding, too broken to talk, and rose to place a kiss on his cheek before letting go of him and going to the plane to join Albatan. Heartbreak is what this is called.

"Albatan, do you have a paper and a pen for me please?"

He nodded and went into the plane to grab it for her as she followed behind him. She couldn't look behind her, she knew she wouldn't be able to do what she wanted to do next if she did.

OoO0

Finn stood and waited for a while, wondering why the plane hadn't taken off yet. Twenty minutes had passed and there was no sign of Rachel, Albatan, or the plane. He had chosen to wait a little longer to go check on them, but the moment he decided to go to see what the problem was, he saw Albatan running toward him with something in his hand. The worry was etched on his face as he took a few steps towards the man so he could know what was happening sooner. Once Albatan was in front of him, he reached out his hand and spoke quickly "Here you go, Rachel asked me to hand you that. We're leaving now, Sir." Finn took the piece of paper from him and then he turned back to the plane.

A few moments later Finn closed his eyes as the plane took to the skies, leaving him and taking a part of his heart with it. The emptiness he felt was nothing he ever experienced and he knew it was the price of falling in love. A price that was worth it, he only hoped the pain would become more bearable.

When the plane was out of sight, he was glad he was alone for a moment so that no one could see how hurt he was or how much he wanted to cry like a baby. And he didn't even remember crying once before she had joined the tribe. His eyes scanned over the first words, and deep inside he knew this letter would be life changing. He took a deep breath and sat on the grass, ready to start reading the words Rachel had left him.

_My dearest Finn,_

_You have no idea how broken I am while writing these words, how difficult it will be to go back to my life as if I had never met you. The right words to say are so difficult to find and by the time you read this, I hope the tears that have fallen on this paper have evaporated into your nature. _

_I will forever remember the first time I laid my eyes on you. I was under your spell already, no matter how much I thought you disliked me and how cold and unfriendly you were. All the nights I spent in your arms taught me that that simply wasn't true. I learned that you are the kindest, most special man I have ever met. _

_As you know, I came here to be a part of something special and to make memories that I would never forget, what I didn't know was how much more special those memories would turn out to be. It is better than anything I had ever lived or dreamed of living. Thanks to you, I learned how it would be to live only with people you love and to live with what nature gives you. You do not need any other supplies like the ones we have in 'our world' and I learned that it's better than anything else to truly enjoy all the little things in life that are taken for granted. I wish I could make you see my world just so you could understand how different this was for me and how this experience has changed me inside._

_I'm writing you this letter so if you find that you miss me as much as I am already missing you in the next few days or months, then you will be able to read this letter again and again, knowing that somewhere in the world there is someone that is thinking of you; loving you. I left a part of me, a bigger part of my heart with you today and I hope that you will cherish it, even when we are able to move on in the future._

_You, Finn, are the most amazing man- inside and out- that I have ever met. I feel so blessed to have had the luck to feel loved by you and for you to let me love you, especially in such unexpected circumstances. I will talk about you with a smile on my face, telling people what you mean to me and how great you are at leading the tribe and taking on the responsibilities of many lives like you do._

_I heard once "A home is not a place, it's a person" and I understand this sentence now because when I was with you I felt like I was home. I felt like the world belonged to us and it was special. I wish I could live with you and be yours forever. I'll forever be your first everything when it comes to love and that is something I'm proud and that I will never take for granted. You will forever be the first man I loved and the first to make me believe in everything. _

_I feel like 'I love you' will never be enough and I have struggled to put into words how deeply I have fallen for you. I have been thinking of the right thing to say since I realized the true depth of my feelings, I hope you know how deeply I love you. I'm going to be thinking about every minute of the last two perfect months spent with you and your tribe. I will never forget them. _

_I love you endlessly Finn._

_Yours,_

_Rachel Barbra Berry_

He hadn't realized that tears where falling until he finished reading the letter. Thanks to this or because of it, he knew that he had to act on the words he had said to Paulo earlier. He had never been more sure.

Ma had once told him that to be a man of action you have to take action, no matter how dangerous it could be. He was ready to take action and weirdly, he wasn't even scared.

* * *

**The more I write this story, the more I write things that I could say myself... This is why I love writing Rachel!**

**What did you think? :)**

**Oh and Happy New Year !**

**(Always DreamMeCory on Twitter)**


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